3rd round of Syria talks in Astana to begin Tuesday

By Aliia Raimbekova

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (AA) - Participants arrived in the Kazakh capital Astana Monday to attend the third round of Syria talks there, Kazakhstan’s foreign minister said.

"The delegations are arriving today to participate in the next round of the Astana process for resolving the situation in Syria," Kairat Abdrakhmanov said.

Astana Tuesday will host another two-day meeting attended by representatives from Russia, Turkey, and Iran.

"For now, I cannot tell you who else will attend the talks," Abdrakhmanov said. He confirmed the participation of the three guarantor countries, adding: "We are waiting confirmation from other participants."

The Syrian opposition on Saturday said in a statement that they were invited to the talks but demanded the adjournment of the talks after March 20, citing cease-fire violations.

Opposition delegate Osama Abu Zaid said on his personal Twitter account that the opposition will not attend the talks.

The Kazakh Foreign Ministry also sent invitations to representatives of the United Nations, the United States, and Jordan.

Abdrakhmanov said Jordan's presence will ensure Syria opposition's participation in the meeting.

About the format of the meeting, the minister said: "The format and the agenda of the talks depend on the guarantor countries -- Russia, Turkey, and Iran."

Following a cease-fire that came into effect on Dec. 30, the first round of Astana talks on Syria were held on Jan. 23 and 24 as brokered by Turkey, which backs the opposition, and Russia and Iran, who support Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests -- which erupted as part of the Arab Spring uprisings -- with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, more than a quarter-million people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced across the war-battered country, according to the UN.