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Astana Talks: Russia, Turkey & Iran Vow to Convene Syria ‘Congress’

Astana Talks: Russia, Turkey & Iran Vow to Convene Syria ‘Congress’
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Russia, Turkey and Iran pledged Tuesday in Kazakhstan to bring the Syrian regime and its opponents together for a "congress" to help nudge peace efforts toward a more lasting political settlement.

Astana Talks: Russia, Turkey & Iran Vow to Convene Syria ‘Congress’

A joint statement released by Russia Iran and Turkey, which backs the militants, referred to an "initiative of Russia" to put Syrian government representatives and opposition groups face-to-face.

A statement on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website Tuesday listed 33 Syrian organizations invited to a "Congress of Syrian National Dialogue" in the Russian city of Sochi on Nov. 18.

The invitees include the Kurdish-led authorities in northern Syria, Badran Jia Kurd, an adviser to the administration that governs Kurdish-led autonomous regions of Syria, told Reuters.

"We are studying the issue and our stance has been positive so far," Jia Kurd said.

It would mark the first time Syria's main Kurdish groups have been brought into peace talks. Although they now control at least a quarter of Syria, Kurdish authorities have so far been left out of international talks in line with Turkish wishes.

The proposal was one of the few notable outcomes from the seventh round of talks on Syria held in the Kazakh capital Astana, which are widely viewed as Moscow's attempt to stamp its imprint on a settlement for Syria.

Meanwhile, Russia's chief negotiator for Syria, Aleksandr Lavrentyev, urged opposition factions to "participate and present their positions" in the meeting that he said would touch on constitutional reform.

He also said that the Syrian groups who choose to boycott the congress risk being sidelined as the political process moves ahead.

Lavrentyev, however, could not confirm that the United Nations and its Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura would take part in the Sochi meeting, despite continuing negotiations.

"We want to emphasize that this event should be part of the international community's efforts to find effective mechanisms for political settlement," Lavrentyev added.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

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