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Astana format ministerial negotiations begin in Doha

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan are attending the meeting

DOHA, December 7. /TASS/. The foreign ministers of the Astana format guarantor countries (Russia, Iran, Turkey) have started negotiations on the sidelines of the Doha Forum, a TASS correspondent reported.

The negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of a sharp escalation in Syria, where government troops are resisting an attack by militants of the extremist group Jabhat al-Nusra (banned in Russia) and its allies.

The talks are taking place behind closed doors. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan are attending the meeting.

The Syrian Defense Ministry reported on Saturday that the Syrian army, backed by Russian aviation, continues to target terrorist militants in the provinces of Hama and Homs.

On November 27, Jabhat al-Nusra launched a large-scale attack on Aleppo and other settlements in Northern Syria. On November 30, the Republican Guard Command reported that the Syrian army was forced to regroup its forces to save the lives of civilians and soldiers and prepare for a counterattack.

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Sergey Lavrov Syria Iran Turkey

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