Turkish Deputy PM Praises Astana Talks Between Syrian Government, Opposition

Astana talks give hope for progress in Syrian crisis resolution, while laying a foundation for reaching the final agreement, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak told Sputnik Monday.

ASTANA (Sputnik) — This is the first time, when Damascus and the armed opposition sit together at the negotiating table since the start of the conflict in the Arab country. Kazakh side expects the meeting to last through Tuesday.

"Astana talks give hope for progress in the Syrian conflict resolution. I would like to highlight that the meeting in Astana is not an alternative to the UN-brokered Geneva talks. However, the Astana talks are aimed at laying foundations for reaching the final agreement… We all expect from Astana talks a sustainable ceasefire and then restoration of stability in Syria," Kaynak said.

Speaking about the strategy in the region, the Turkish deputy prime minister praised the fact that Turkey and Russia were coordinating their actions, saying that it was a "positive and important moment."

"Civilians are returning to their lands and homes," Kaynak said, adding that this proved the fact that Russian, Turkish and Iranian strategy was the right one to settle the crisis in the war-torn country.

The Syrian government and the armed opposition are negotiating behind the closed doors. Damascus delegation is set to speak first, followed by the armed opposition, Russia, Iran, Turkey, the United States and the United Nations.