The participating states of the Astana process on Syrian settlement have not yet approached the Kazakh side with a request to hold another meeting in Astana, said Kanat Tumysh, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, TASS reports.
The Astana format refers to a series of negotiations that started in 2017, primarily held in the capital of Kazakhstan, with the participation of all parties involved in the Syrian conflict to address the most pressing issues at the time.
In late June 2022, the latest international meeting took place in Astana, attended by delegations from the guarantor countries - Russia, Iran, and Turkey, as well as representatives from the Syrian government and opposition. Observers from the UN, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon also participated.
After the session, Tumysh announced that this round of negotiations would be the final one. He stated that the situation in Syria had undergone significant changes, as evidenced by Arab states' readiness to restore diplomatic relations with Damascus.
However, some experts believe that the Astana format of negotiations is still relevant. The Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and African countries, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, Mikhail Bogdanov, stated that Russia, Iran, and Turkey will approach Kazakhstan with a proposal to hold a meeting in the Astana format again in 2023. "There is an understanding among the three guarantor countries to approach Kazakhstan with a proposal for such a meeting by the end of the year," he said in an interview with TASS.
Furthermore, Bogdanov stated that Kazakhstan has agreed to continue hosting meetings in the Astana format for Syria.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
August 1, 2023