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Conflict in Syria

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UN’s Syria envoy to attend Astana peace talks

While in Astana, de Mistura is planning to conduct political consultations with the ceasefire guarantors

GENEVA, May 1. /TASS/. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura will attend the next round of talks on Syria due in the Kazakh capital of Astana on May 3 and 4, the envoy’s office confirmed on Monday.

"UN Special Envoy de Mistura will be joining the high-level meeting on Syria in Astana on 3 and 4 May," the note to correspondents says. "In view of the urgency and importance of re-establishing a de-escalation of the situation in Syria and moving on confidence-building measures, he has agreed to attend the meeting as an observer at the invitation of the Kazakh government."

While in Astana, de Mistura is planning to conduct political consultations with the ceasefire guarantors (Russia, Turkey and Iran).

"This will be particularly timely as he is at present putting finishing touches on his deliberations regarding the next round of intra-Syrian talks in Geneva," it said.

The 4th international conference on Syria will take place in Kazakhstan’s capital on May 3 and 4. On May 2, experts are due to hold bilateral consultations. The previous, third, conference on Syria was held in Astana on March 14-15. Delegations of Russia, Iran and Turkey, which had brokered a nationwide ceasefire in Syria, took part in the negotiations alongside the Syrian government delegation and experts from the United Nations, United States and Jordan.

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