Sputnik- A second round of Syria talks in Astana ended Thursday in a deal by the three peace guarantors � Russia, Turkey and Iran � to uphold Syrian truce and set the stage for more in-depth negotiations in Geneva next week.


�MOSCOW (Sputnik)�� Though not a breakthrough, indirect talks between�the Syrian government and armed opposition were lauded as "unique" and a "step forward" by�Russia�s lead negotiator Alexander Lavrentyev.


The meeting in�the Kazakh capital yielded a joint paper by�the three sponsors that will also allow for�prisoner exchanges, but�a joint communique was not adopted.

On the sidelines, UN special envoy for�Syria Staffan de Mistura came to�Russia on�a visit to�promote anticipated Geneva talks, scheduled for�February 23. He said the Astana meeting had consolidated efforts to�bring peace to�Syria but�said aid convoys still needed greater access to�Syrians.

CEASEFIRE MONITORING GROUP

A three-way deal between�Russia, Turkey and Iran to�set up�a permanent contact group to�maintain the December 30 ceasefire in�Syria was the most tangible result of�two days of�talks at�Rixos hotel in�Astana.
"It was the close and sound work with�the representatives of�Syrian armed opposition groups here in�Astana, with�the government delegation and our tripartite consultations between�Russia, Turkey and Iran, which allowed us to�reach a modest but�real result by�establishing the Concept Paper on�the Joint Group that will determine control over�the ceasefire," Lavrentyev told reporters.


The Joint Paper, seen by�Sputnik, stipulated that the three-party monitoring group would take up�the task of�facilitating prisoner swaps at�its regular meetings. It pledged to�report to�the United Nations about�truce violations and brief the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) on�its progress.


The three nations also agreed to�continue their effort to�separate opposition groups from�terrorist organizations, such as�Daesh and the Nusra Front. Both are outlawed by�Russia and many other nations and are not part of�the existing ceasefire.

DIRECT TALKS UNLIKELY

A setback to�Syrian reconciliation progress was a lack of�a joint communique, which Syrian government�s chief negotiator Bashar Jaafari blamed on�the opposition delegation, whose late arrival, he said, proved they were irresponsible about�the talks.

In turn, Osama Abu Zeid, a member of�the Syrian armed opposition delegation to�Astana, said he was pessimistic about�the outcome of�the negotiations, calling them a "waste of�time," and doubted there would be a third round.

Lavrentyev, who is Russian president�s special envoy for�Syria, said chances were rather slim that Syrian rival forces would meet for�direct talks any time soon as�there was still a lot of "mutual distrust" between�them.
"But I believe that we must move ahead every time, step-by-step, without�leaving any space for�confrontation," Lavrentyev stressed. He added the fact that both delegations had turned out�was a positive sign, and they would draw on�this experience when they gathered in�Geneva in�a week.


TURKEY UNDER FIRE


Turkey came under�a barrage of�criticism from�the Syrian government�s lead negotiator for�sending troops over�the border to�back rebels in�northern Syria, where they are fighting Daesh militants for�the control of�Al Bab.


Jaafari again accused Ankara of�violating Syria�s territorial integrity and called into�question its contribution to�the Syrian effort as�one of�the peace guarantors. He said Turkey was underrepresented at�the Astana talks, which ran counter to�its status as�a peace guarantor.

"The Turkish government cannot be fanning the flames and extinguishing them at�the same time. And in�this case it is certainly fanning the flames. Turkey must withdraw its military forces from�our country and respect the Astana 1 Communique that upholds Syria�s sovereignty," he said.