CAIRO (Sputnik) — On December 17, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed in a phone call the possibility of a meeting in Astana between the parties to the Syrian conflict with Russia and Turkey as potential mediators.
"We have not received an official invitation yet," Shoukry told journalists.
Egypt's foreign minister added that Cairo's participation in the talks would be very useful and Egypt was still discussing its possible involvement with Russia and other countries.
A nationwide ceasefire came into effect in Syria last Thursday, with Russia and Turkey agreeing to be its guarantors. Radical groups – Islamic State (IS), the Jabhat Fatah al Sham and the Kurdish popular protection units (YPG) – are not part of the deal.
Since 2011, Syria has been engulfed in a civil war, with government forces fighting against numerous opposition and terrorist groups, including the Islamic State, which is banned in a number of countries, including Russia.
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