"Jarba expressed a hope that the conference would create a favourable climate for a political resolution, based on the international decisions on Syria and would lead to Geneva talks, which would put to an end the bloody conflict," the statement of the organization said.
On December 17, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed in a phone call the possibility of a meeting between the Syrian conflicting parties in Astana. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev supported the initiative and expressed readiness to provide a platform for such talks in the Kazakh capital.
The negotiations are going to start on January 23. The talks are expected to be followed by a new round of negotiations on Syrian peace in Geneva on February 8.
Since 2011, Syria has been engulfed in a civil war, with government forces fighting against numerous opposition and terrorist groups, including the Islamic State (Daesh), which is banned in a wide range of countries.
