New meeting on Syria in Astana due in mid-February, says Lavrov

MOSCOW, January 28./TASS/. A new international meeting on the Syrian settlement hosted by Astana, Kazakhstan, will be held in mid-February, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in the opening remarks at talks with Kazakh counterpart Beibut Atamkulov on Monday. Russia gives high marks to Kazakhstan’s role as the host of high-level international meetings on Syria, he said. "A next such meeting is planned in Astana in the middle of the next month," the minister said. Lavrov expressed confidence that Moscow and Astana would continue active work towards strengthening strategic partnership basing on the guidelines set by the two presidents. "Today we will sign an action plan for cooperation between the two foreign ministers for the coming two years. So, work continues," the Russian diplomat added. He also congratulated Kazakhstan on successful participation in the activity of the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member of the organization in 2017-2018. The previous high-level meeting on Syria in Astana involving the Russian, Iranian and Turkish deputy foreign ministers was held on November 28-29. It focused on the situation in the Idlib governorate and the creation of the Syrian constitutional committee. Read more