UNITED NATIONS, April 29. /TASS/. High-level Astana format meetings on the Syria settlement are planned for the second half of this year, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin told reporters.

"High-level Astana format meetings are held regularly and such encounters are planned for the second half of this year. So far, there are no specific dates," the senior Russian diplomat said.

"This format proves to be very effective. There were meetings at ministerial levels and at the level of special representatives. Each time, we see that the Astana format is a good factor for stabilizing the situation with regard to settlement in Syria and in the region as a whole," Vershinin said.

"Today, positive shifts have emerged around Syria as a whole, primarily, with regard to normalizing the relations of the Syrian Arab Republic with other countries of the region, which can only be welcomed," the high-ranking Russian diplomat said.

"We hosted important meetings [in the Russia-Iran-Turkey-Syria format] at the level of the defense ministers and deputy foreign ministers," he pointed out.

"Of course, such important events bring the parties closer to the ministerial meeting. The dynamics is positive. I believe that a higher-level meeting can also take place in the immediate future," the high-ranking Russian diplomat said.