US Senator Menendez Calls Astana Talks on Syrian Settlement ‘Unpromising’

US Senator Robert Menendez claims that initial indications related to the progress of the intra-Syrian peace talks in Astana appear unpromising.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Initial indications related to the progress of the intra-Syrian peace talks in Astana appear unpromising, US Senator Robert Menendez told Sputnik.

“The early reports [on Astana talks] don't seem promising… I’m certainly hopeful that the ceasefire continues to hold … but I’m not sure how much more will come out of it," Menendez said on Monday.

Earlier on Monday, Russian delegation's head Alexander Lavrentiev said Syrian peace settlement talks in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana were rather successful with the final document being under discussion.

Menendez also said, with respect to US-Russian relations overall, that Washington and Moscow must first “get on the right page” on issues like Syria, Ukraine and other places in the world.

“Before we start engaging with Russia we have to see whether it is ready to come back the international order and the rules-based process we have established that has worked well for the world,” Menendez added.

The Syrian settlement talks in Kazakhstan's capital brokered by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran, started on Monday and are expected to last through Tuesday. The talks brought together the delegation of the Syrian government and representatives of armed opposition groups for the first time since the beginning of the state's civil war in 2011.