Russia, Turkey and Iran discuss implementing Syria ceasefire

Jordan has for the first time joined talks with Russia, Iran and Turkey on implementing Syria's ceasefire, ahead of UN talks in Geneva later this month.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab

06 February, 2017

Syria's war began in 2011 and has claimed over 310,000 lives [AFP]

Experts from Russia, Turkey, Iran and the United Nations have begun technical discussions in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, about the implementation of the Syrian ceasefire agreement, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said Monday.

The meeting's agenda includes reviewing the cessation of hostilities' implementation, discussing a proposal from the Syrian armed opposition about the ceasefire and determining its implementation.

"This is about creating a mechanism to control the implementation of the ceasefire," a ministry spokesman said.

Representatives from Jordan are also expected to take part in the talks for the first time, the spokesman added.

The ministry gave no further details about who would be attending the closed-door meeting.

This latest meeting follows discussions in Ankara on Friday between Syria's main opposition groups and Turkey's government.

Following the meeting, a Turkish official said that the Syrian opposition rejected discussing the future administrative make-up of Syria or a new constitution at talks aiming to end the civil war.