The United Nations Security Council has praised the peacemaking potential of the "Astana process", as well as its role in strengthening the Syrian ceasefire, the Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov said, addressing the country’s lower house of parliament.
"Members of the United Nations Security Council noted that arranging dialogue between the Syrian government and the armed opposition, strengthening the ceasefire and setting up a trilateral mechanism for monitoring the ceasefire guaranteed by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran, became possible thanks to the steps taken by the head of our state and the Astana process," TASS cited Abdrakhmanov as saying.
The next international Astana meeting is scheduled to be held on March 14-15. Delegations from Russia, Turkey and Iran will take part in the meeting, invitations have also been sent to the United Nations, the US and Jordan. The Syrian government and the armed opposition are expected to confirm their participation. On March 14, preliminary consultations will be held while a plenary meeting is due on March 15.
