Nov 29, 2018 14:00 Hrs GMT | Syria Peace Talk 11th Round Meeting | Astana, Kazakhstan
Astana, (SANA)- The 11th round of Astana meeting on settling crisis in Syria on Wednesday started activities at the Kazakh capital with the participation of the Syrian Arab Republic’s delegation headed by Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari, and other delegations.
Director of Asia and Africa Department at the Kazakh Foreign Ministry Heydar Beck Tomatov said in a press statement that all the invitees to the 11th round of Astana meeting arrived in the Kazakh capital.
Tomatov noted that a delegation from the UN, headed by UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura arrived in Astana to participate in the meeting as an observer.
He added that representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR) and of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will also participate in the meeting.
In statements to journalists, head of the Russian delegation, Russian President’s Special Envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev stressed that participants in the current round of Astana meeting will discuss a number of issues including the situation in Idleb and the return of the displaced Syrians to their homeland, in addition to combating terrorism and the situation related to the committee which will discuss the current constitution.
The delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic started its meetings in the first day of launching Astana meeting by holding a meeting with Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov.
The Syrian delegation also held another meeting with the Russian delegation, headed by Lavrentiev as the two sides held consultations on means to guarantee the success of Astana meeting.
During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on the agenda of the current Astana meeting and the continuation of coordination between the two countries in combating terrorism, in addition to the implementation of the relevant agreements of Astana, particularly those which are related to the de-escalation zone agreement in Idleb.
Talks during the meeting also touched upon the latest attacks with chemical weapons which were launched on Aleppo City by terrorist groups positioned in Idleb, underlining the necessity of exerting pressure on the bodies which support these groups to stop such a dangerous escalation.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Syrian Arab Republic delegation, headed by Dr. al-Jaafari, met the Iranian delegation headed by Senior Assistant to Iranian Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Hussein Jabri Ansari.
What will be key issue to discussed in 11th Astana meeting?
Astana 11 affirms preservation of Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity
The guarantor states of the Astana process (Iran, Russia and Turkey) reiterated their strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria and the continuation of the fight against terrorism.
In Astana 11 final statement, the guarantor states reaffirmed their determination to fight terrorism in Syria in order to ultimately eliminate Daesh (ISIS), Jabhat al-Nusra and all other entities associated with them.
The statement rejected all attempts to create new facts on the ground under the pretext of combating terrorism in Syria and rejected the separatist agendas aimed at undermining the sovereignty and unity of Syrian territory.
The statement stressed the need for full implementation of the understanding on Idleb and the demilitarized zone, stressing that the de-escalation zone in Idleb, under any circumstances, can not undermine the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Syria.
It condemned any use of chemical weapons in Syria and demanded a transparent and professional probe into any reports concerning this issue in a way that accords with the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
The statement reiterated commitment of the guarantor countries to intensify efforts to form a committee enjoyed by support of all Syrian parties to discuss the constitution as soon as possible consistent with the decisions of the Congress of the Syrian National Dialogue in Sochi
(Archive Photo) Astana Meeting Held in May 2018
The statement pointed out to the importance of continuing efforts aimed at helping the Syrians regain their normal lives and end suffering, calling on the international community, especially the United Nations and humanitarian organizations, to increase aid to Syria, ensure the return of the displaced and to intensify efforts for solving the issue of abductees and the missing.
The guarantor states decided to hold the next high-level meeting on Syria next February 2019 in Astana.
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