Syrian Opposition Made Blackmail Attempts at Astana Talks - Russian Delegation

The Syrian armed opposition delegation to the Astana talks has made some awkward attempts at blackmailing, Alexander Lavrentyev, the head of Russian delegation to the Astana talks said Tuesday.

ASTANA (Sputnik) — He added that there was a "significant" amount of those willing to derail the meeting.

"We have obviously noted some awkward attempts at, let’s say, blackmailing," Lavrentyev told reporters.

The Syria talks were held in Astana on January 23-24. They were initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who proposed establishing in Astana a site of the Syrian peace process in addition to Geneva. The proposal was supported by the presidents of Turkey and Kazakhstan.