Kazakhstan to host 22nd Astana format meeting on Syria next week

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - The 22nd International Meeting on Syria, part of the Astana process led by Türkiye, Russia, and Iran, will be held in Kazakhstan’s capital on Nov. 11-12, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry announced on Friday.

The meeting will hold bilateral and trilateral discussions among delegations, followed by a plenary session and press conference.

Key topics on the agenda include developments in Syria’s regional situation, steps toward a comprehensive settlement, and the current "on-the-ground" situation in the war-torn country.

The talks will address confidence-building measures such as the release of hostages and efforts to locate missing persons, as well as humanitarian initiatives.

Participants will discuss mobilizing international support for Syria’s post-conflict recovery and creating conditions for the voluntary return of refugees.

The Astana format talks were launched in 2017 under the guarantors Türkiye, Russia and Iran to resolve the Syrian civil war, which began in early 2011.

The last session was held in January, also in Astana, and Türkiye was represented by then Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yildiz.