Swedish UN Envoy: Astana's Syria Talks Should Be Key Step Toward Geneva Meeting

The UN Security Council agrees that Astana talks should become a step toward the success of the UN-led talks on Syria in the beginning of February, Swedish Ambassador to the UN Olof Skoog told reporters on Friday.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — Syrian government and opposition factions are supposed to meet in Astana on Monday for talks brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran. They will be followed by a UN-mediated meeting in Geneva on February 8.

"We said it in a good spirit at the table of the Security Council to consider that Astana should be an important step towards a UN meeting led by Staffan de Mistura early in February. I think on this there’s a wide agreement," Skoog said.

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