Astana Syria talks fail to reach deal on aid, captives

By Selen Temizer, Muhammed Shekh Yusuf and Aliia Raimbekova

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (AA) - A seventh round of Syria peace talks ended without an agreement on Tuesday in the Kazakh capital, Astana.

Parties attending the talks failed to reach an agreement on uninterrupted humanitarian access to the regions under blockade, and the exchange of captives and prisoners, according to sources who attended the meeting.

The guarantor countries --Turkey, Russia and Iran -- agreed to continue to work on the two issues, the sources said.

Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov is expected to read a joint statement shortly.

The talks, which focused on strengthening a cease-fire that came into effect on Dec. 30, are brokered by Turkey, which backs the opposition, and Russia and Iran, who support Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The two-day meeting in Astana also addressed the release of prisoners and hostages, and humanitarian action on mines.

Representatives of the Syrian regime, armed opposition groups, the three guarantor countries, as well as delegations from the UN, Jordan and the U.S. attended the talks.