UPDATE - Kremlin says US not invited to Syria talks in Astana

UPDATES WITH QUOTES FROM OPPOSITION GROUP SPOKESMAN

By Hakan Ceyhan Aydogan

MOSCOW (AA) - The U.S. has not been invited to the intra-Syrian talks in the Kazakh capital Astana, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov Monday.

"Preparations for Astana talks are continuing. It is a difficult process," Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

The spokesman said Astana talks were not an "alternative" to other formats, including the Geneva process, rather it was "supplementary".

About whether the administration led by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's administration had been invited to the talks, Peskov said: "No".

He also denied reports that President Vladimir Putin and Trump would come together in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland.

Meanwhile, Osama Abu Zeid, a spokesman for the armed opposition groups in Syria, told Anadolu Agency on Monday all opposition groups in Syria back the peace talks in Astana.

"The list with names of people going to Astana is expected today," Abu Zeid said.

"The first thing to be discussed in Astana will be the cease-fire. The more loyal the parties are to the cease-fire, the better the negotiations will be. The future of Syria is to be left to the [opposition group’s] High Negotiations Committee," he said.

He denied allegations that some opposition groups had refused to attend the peace talks in Astana.

"Turkey has done very good things for Syria and Syrians. Turkey wants to reflect its developing relations with Russia in Syria," he added.

Praising Turkey's effort to create peace in Syria, Abu Zeid said Turkey had made all efforts to break the silence of the world in the face of the murders in Syria.

Negotiations to reach a political resolution to the six-year war in Syria are due to begin in Astana between the Syrian government and opposition negotiators on Jan. 23.

Following last month's Syria cease-fire deal brokered by Turkey and Russia, the Astana meeting comes as part of ongoing efforts by the two countries to promote a political solution in war-torn Syria.