Ensuring ceasefire is key task at Astana talks - head of Syria’s opposition delegation

ASTANA, January 23. /TASS/. The top priority at the Syria peace talks in the Kazakh capital is to ensure ceasefire in the Arab country to solve humanitarian issues and only then the political settlement can be discussed, Mohamed Alloush, who heads the Syrian opposition's delegation, said. "The ceasefire should be really established before we will be able to switch to other issues," he told reporters commenting on the outcome of the first session of the consultations. Alloush said the opposition seeks political settlement and peace but is ready to continue combat actions. "We are peaceful people, we want to protect the citizens of Syria, but if necessary we are ready to continue our fight," he said. The first session of the Astana talks was attended by the delegations of the Syrian government and the opposition, Russia, the United States and Iran, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and US Ambassador to Kazakhstan George Krol who is an observer. The participants of the consultations made statements on their stance on the situation in Syria and the ways of solving it. Read more