UN, Turkey, Iran, Russia talk Syrian charter committee

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The UN’s Syria envoy has discussed with representatives of Turkey, Iran, and Russia the formation of a committee to rewrite Syria's Constitution, he said on Tuesday.

The informal consultations took place on day two of the 10th round of Syria peace talks in the Astana format in the Russian Black Sea city of Sochi.

After the gathering, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura told journalists that the meeting had been "useful".

Earlier the regime and opposition each submitted to de Mistura a list of 50 candidates to represent them on the committee.

In addition to the formation of a constitutional committee, the 10th round of Syrian talks is focused on the latest situation in de-escalation zones in Idlib, the return of refugees, and the release of prisoners.

Last week, the regime began a military buildup in southwestern Idlib in a bid to attack Syria’s northwestern Turkmen Mountain region, which is located within the de-escalation zones.

Idlib is set to be a top issue during the Astana meeting, as the Turkish delegation is expected to stress the importance of maintaining the cease-fire regime in the region.