UN Waiting for ‘More Details’ From Astana Talks to Decide Participation Format

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura spoke favorably about the idea to establish safe zones in Syria, but added the United Nations must study the proposal in greater detail to decide how it can contribute, according to UN Secretary-General spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — The United Nations supports measures to de-escalate the situation in Syria, but wants to see more details on what was agreed to in the Astana talks in order to decide the format of its participation, UN Secretary-General spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Thursday.

"I’m waiting to get a little bit more details," Dujarric said. "Obviously, we’ve always maintained that any de-escalation to the violence is vital to save lives and increasing conducive conditions for fruitful intra-Syrian talks. We will do, we do whatever we can to support the de-escalation."

Dujarric noted that UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura spoke favorably about the idea to establish safe zones in Syria, but added the United Nations must study the proposal in greater detail to decide how it can contribute.

Earlier on Thursday, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said participants in the negotiations on Syrian settlement in Astana adopted a memorandum on creating four safe zones.

The document was signed by the Syrian ceasefire guarantor states Russia, Iran and Turkey.

According to the documents obtained by Sputnik, Russia proposed to set up security zones in the Idlib province; Eastern Ghouta; north of the city of Homs; and also in the south of Syria.

Alexander Lavrentyev, head of the Russian delegation at the Astana talks, said the de-escalation zones in Syria will be a temporary measure that will be implemented for six months with a possibility to have an extension.