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Russia expects progress on Syria de-escalation zones at Astana talks

Astana is hosting the second and final day of negotiations on Syria on Wednesday

MOSCOW, July 5. /TASS/. Russia hopes that progress will be reached on agreeing on the borders and parameters of Syrian de-escalation zones at talks in the Kazakh capital Astana, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after talks with Secretary General of the League of Arab States Ahmed Aboul Gheit on Wednesday.

"We hope that a real progress will be reached in terms of designating certain parameters, including geographic ones and those linked to ensuring the operation of de-escalation zones. Today’s talks will show this, now they are still continuing," Lavrov said.

Astana is hosting the second and final day of negotiations on Syria on Wednesday. The participants - delegations of Russia, Turkey and Iran, and also Syria’s government and armed opposition - discuss parameters of de-escalation zones, which were agreed at the previous round of talks in early May.

The sides also discuss other documents, including on swapping hostages and conducting a mine clearance effort at historic monuments. Russia’s chief negotiator at the Astana talks and Russian president’s envoy for Syria, Alexander Lavrentyev, earlier said the adoption of these documents depends on the progress on Syrian de-escalation zones.