UN envoy to attend Astana talks on Syria
UN envoy for Syria will join officials from Russia, Turkey and Iran in Kazakhstan for talks.
UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - The UN envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, will join officials from Russia, Turkey and Iran in Kazakhstan this week for talks on enforcing a ceasefire in Syria, a UN statement said Monday.
De Mistura will travel to Astana for the meetings on Wednesday and Thursday that could pave the way for a new round of UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva this month.
"While in Astana, the special envoy will be supporting efforts by the guarantors of the ceasefire and other participants to de-escalate the military situation," said the statement announcing his travel plans.
"This will be particularly timely as he is at present putting finishing touches on his deliberations regarding the next round of intra-Syrian talks in Geneva," it added.
A fifth round of political talks on ending the war ended on March 31 with little progress except for an agreement to return again at the negotiating table.
De Mistura told the Security Council last month that Russia and the United Stats must agree on a way forward to end the war in Syria and pave the way for a "real negotiation."
A date for the new round -- which would come after the suspected chemical attack at Khan Sheikhun -- has not been announced.
Representatives of the Syrian government met with Russian, Iranian and Turkish officials in Astana in March, but the opposition stayed away.
