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Russia, Turkey, Iran address ceasefire in Syria, says envoy

The 17th International Meeting on Syria in the Astana format is taking place on December 21-22 in Kazakhstan’s capital

NUR-SULTAN, December 21. / TASS /. Russia, Iran, and Turkey have discussed some concrete measures to maintain a ceasefire in Syria, Special Presidential Representative for the Syrian Settlement Alexander Lavrentyev said on Tuesday.

"We held talks with the Turkish delegation, and prior to that, we negotiated with the Iranian side. We addressed all issues in a very constructive manner," the Russian envoy stated.

As Lavrentyev mentioned, the sides focused on stabilizing the situation in Syria to reach a ceasefire. "This refers both to Idlib and the south, including the Syrian-Turkish border in the north, where the clashed have recently intensified," the diplomat pointed out.

The 17th International Meeting on Syria in the Astana format is taking place on December 21-22 in Kazakhstan’s capital. The participants are likely to address the future prospects of the Syrian Constitutional Committee in Geneva, the recent developments in Syria, efforts focused on maintaining the ceasefire in the de-escalation zones in line with the previous agreements as part of the Astana format. A working group on captives, with the participation of guarantor countries, as well as the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross are going to hold a meeting.

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