"Yes, Ahrar ash-Sham are participants," Zoubi told Sputnik, asked whether representatives of the armed group are going to arrive to Astana for the talks.
Yahya Aridi, an adviser to the Syrian opposition's High Negotiations Committee (HNC), also confirmed to Sputnik that Ahrar ash-Sham will be represented this time in Astana.
Expert consultations will take place in Astana on Tuesday.
Ahrar ash-Sham is one of the largest Syrian armed opposition groups that until 2014 sided with Daesh, a terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries. In December 2016, Ahrar ash-Sham became one of the opposition groups that agreed to join the Syrian nationwide ceasefire between the government and opposition factions. The group decided not to participate in the Astana talks but supported the negotiations.
