MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Syrian Kurds do not expect any breakthrough from the intra-Syrian talks in Astana, chairman of the Kobani provincial government Anwar Muslim told Sputnik on Tuesday, saying that a holding ceasefire in Syria was already a good sign.
"We do not expect much from Astana [talks]. First, the Kurds are not invited to these negotiations, despite the fact that we control a large area of Syria and successfully fight Daesh [outlawed in Russia]. The group that sits [during talks] at one [table] with the [official] regime are bandits. They were killing people. So, we do not expect much from these talks. For these groups it is important to defend their own interests and continue to control their territories," Muslim said.
At the same time, he acknowledged that the ceasefire in Syria was generally being respected. "There are no clashes, we are at war only with Daesh," he added.
Earlier in the day, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura’s spokeswoman Yara Sharif confirmed that the UN-brokered intra-Syrian negotiations in Geneva would begin on February 23.
