Talks on Syria in Astana to be held after meetings between Russian, Turkish, Iranian foreign ministers

ASTANA, February 13. /TASS/. An international meeting in Astana on settlement of the situation in Syria will be held after negotiations between the Russian, Iranian and Turkish foreign ministers scheduled for March in the Kazakhstani capital, Kazakhstani Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov told reporters on Tuesday. "We received information from our foreign colleagues that the Astana process underwriter states - Russia, Turkey and Iran - plan to convene the foreign ministers of these countries within the Astana process and that the possible venue is our capital Astana. The dates and the agenda are to be provided. In light of this, a new round of the Astana process itself is due to be held after the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Astana process underwriter states," he said. Abdrakhmanov specified that talks between the foreign ministers of the three countries may be held in March. "Certain efforts are needed to convene a meeting of the foreign ministers of such countries as Russia, Iran and Turkey. All of them have a rather tight schedule, especially due to the events that are evolving in the Middle East as well, so it will probably be in March," he explained. On Monday, Russian Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and the African Countries and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov stated that the Russian, Iranian and Turkish foreign ministers - Sergey Lavrov, Mohammad Javad Zarif and Mevlut Cavusoglu - may meet in March in Astana. Negotiations are underway to determine the dates of their talks. Read more