6 Feb 2018 09:15

Participants in Astana-hosted Syria talks preparing for 9th round, may hold it after Feb 20 - Kazakh FM

ASTANA. Feb 6 (Interfax) - The participants in the intra-Syrian talks hosted by the Kazakh capital Astana are making preparations for the ninth round of these negotiations, Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said.

"The information we are receiving from representatives of the Astana process guarantor countries (Russia, Turkey and Iran) indicates that the parties are working to lay the groundwork for the next round of the Astana-hosted talks in line with earlier achieved agreements," Abdrakhmanov told reporters in Astana on Tuesday.

"A date after February 20 is being considered," he said.

"But this information needs to be definitively confirmed by the guarantor countries," the minister said.