Sputnik- The Syrian government's and opposition factions' representatives are expected to meet in Astana on Monday for talks brokered by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran, following a ceasefire in the crisis-torn country endorsed by the UN Security Council on December 31, 2016.





MOSCOW (Sputnik)�� The main round�of the negotiations is expected to�begin on�Monday at�1 p.m. local time (07:00 GMT) and to�finish at�the same time on�Tuesday.

ROAD TO ASTANA

The intra-Syrian peace talks were supposed to�take place in�Geneva in�February 2016, but�were suspended two days after�kicking off. The last round�of the talks was held in�Geneva on�April 13-27. The Riyadh-formed High Negotiations Committee (HNC) opposition group walked out�of the negotiations, citing the continuous fighting in�Syria and the lack of�progress on�humanitarian issues.

In December 2016, UN Special Envoy for�Syria Staffan de Mistura said the United Nations wanted to�reconvene the talks on�February 8, 2017.

On December 17, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed in�a phone call the possibility of�a meeting in�Kazakhstan's capital Astana between�the parties to�the Syrian conflict with�Russia, Iran and Turkey as�potential mediators. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev supported this initiative and expressed readiness to�provide a platform for�such talks in�the Kazakh capital. Russia has stressed that the Astana and UN-backed Geneva platforms are not rivals, with�the latter set to�complement the former.

Russian-brokered nationwide ceasefire came into�force on�December 30.

RUSSIA

Moscow will be represented by�an interagency delegation of�the representatives of�Russia's foreign and defense ministries headed by�Director of�Middle East and North Africa Department in�the Foreign Ministry Sergey Vershinin.
"There will be an inter-ministerial delegation that will include representatives of�the Ministry of�Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of�Defense of�Russia," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said.


IRAN

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for�Arab-African Affairs Hossein Jaberi Ansari will lead his country's delegation at�the negotiations.
"The delegation of�the Islamic Republic of�Iran headed by�Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari will participate in�the talks on�Syria in�Astana on�January 23," the statement by�Iranian Foreign Ministry, circulated by�the Iranian Embassy in�Kazakhstan, said.


It was added in�the statement that Iran considers the negotiations an opportunity to�establish dialogue between�the Syrian government and opposition to�settle the conflict in�the country politically.


"Over the recent days, Iran has had consultations with�different parties to�the conflict in�order to�prepare the basis for�bridging differences and reaching an agreement," the statement said.

TURKEY

Turkey has not yet made a decision on�who will represent the country at�the talks on�Syria, and will decide depending on�the level of�other governments' delegations, Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said.
"We will take into�account the partners participating from�other countries, and decide accordingly," Simsek said.


EUROPEAN UNION

Spokeswoman for�EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Nabila Massrali confirmed that the European Union would be represented at�the upcoming conference in�Astana.

"What I can confirm is that the European Union will be present at�the Astana conference. A delegation will be present or an official will be present," Massrali told reporters without�specifying any names.

UNITED STATES

US State Department spokesman John Kirby announced that the United States had received an official invitation from�Moscow to�take part in�the Astana meeting.

"Our Embassy in�Moscow did receive an invitation delivered to�them from�the Russian Foreign ministry which they duly passed to�us," Kirby said. "So we are aware that there is an actual invitation for�the US to�participate. But so far as�I know, no decision has been made."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow hoped that the administration of�incoming US President Donald Trump would be able to�delegate its own expert to�the talks.

"We hope that Donald Trump's administration will also be able to�delegate a Middle East expert, given that Russia and the US co-chair the International Syria Support Group (ISSG)," Lavrov said.

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer confirmed that the participation was possible.
"As you know, General Flynn was invited in�a call that he had with�the [Russian] Ambassador [to the United States Sergey Kislyak] on�December 29," Spicer stated. "I don't have anything to�update you on�that. But, I think, the scenario is that what President-elect is in, what's going on�there [in Syria] is a major concern � We clearly have the desire to�work with�other countries and nations."


SYRIAN GOVERNMENT

Syria's Permanent Representative to�the United Nations Bashar Jaafari confirmed that he would lead the Syrian government�s delegation at�the upcoming talks.

"Yes, I will lead the government delegation during�the Astana meeting," Jaafari said.

Jaafari will be accompanied by�Syrian ambassador to�Russia Riyad Haddad and Adviser to�Foreign and Expatriates Minister Ahmad Arnous.

ARMED OPPOSITION

The representatives of�14 groups of�Syrian armed opposition, which signed the ceasefire agreement on�December 29, have been invited to�take part in�the talks. Mohammed Alloush, who is a former chief negotiator for�the High Negotiation Committee, would head the delegation.

The list of�the groups includes Jaysh al-Islam, Faylak al-Sham, Jaish al-Mujahideen, Jabhat al-Shamiya, Fastaqim and Suvar al-Sham, among�others.

Representatives of�Free Syrian Army (FSA) and High Negotiation Committee will attend the talks as�well.

Ahrar al-Sham militant group said that it supported the talks but�would not take part in�the event.
"Ahrar al-Sham, one of�the largest armed opposition groups in�northern Syria, will not attend the Astana meeting. They will abstain from�participation and limit themselves with�remote support," the source said.


The Syrian High Negotiations Committee welcomed efforts on�organizing a meeting between�country's warring parties despite�missing the event, the HNC statement said.
"The High Committee highly appreciates efforts made for�success of�the meeting in�Astana, considering it as�an important preliminary step for�the future round�of political talks, that are going to�be held in�Geneva on�February 8, according to [UN Special Envoy for�Syria] Staffan de Mistura," the statement said.


Members of�a new Syrian opposition group, the Damascus Platform, are ready to�take part in�peace talks on�Syrian reconciliation that will be held in�Astana and Geneva, the group�s spokesman Tarek Ahmad said.

"Damascus Platform is ready to�take part in�peace talks on�Syrian reconciliation in�Geneva and Astana," Ahmad said adding that his group has not received invitations to�the negotiations yet.

The Damascus Platform was formed in�November 2016 and unites a wide spectrum of�the Syrian opposition groups, lawmakers and members of�the Syrian civil society.

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) opposition group will not support the results of�the meeting on�Syria in�Astana, as�the SDF has not received an invitation to�attend it, SDF spokesman Talal Selo said.

The SDF consists mainly of�Kurdish and Arab detachments, and participated in�operations against�Daesh with�the support of�the United States.

"Since we have been excluded from�these negotiations, we do not recognize the conference or any of�its results," Selo told Sputnik, adding that in�his opinion, the Turkish authorities were the authors of�the decision not to�invite the SDF.

The Syria�s opposition National Coordination Committee for�the Forces of�Democratic Change (NCC) was not invited to�participate in�the intra-Syrian negotiations in�Astana, NCC leader Hassan Abdel Azim said.

"If we are invited we will discuss the issue with�interest � We welcomed the meeting in�Astana and knew that armed groups and the Syrian army would be proposed to�discuss the ceasefire," Abdel Azim said.

UNITED NATIONS

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has asked the UN Special Envoy for�Syria Staffan de Mistura.

"In light of�the complexity and importance of�the issues likely to�be raised in�Astana, and of�the senior level at�which the conveners of�the meeting will be represented, the Secretary-General has asked Mr. de Mistura, to�lead the UN team at�the talks. The Secretary-General is looking forward to�the Astana meeting being a positive step, ahead of�the resumption of�intra-Syria negotiations in�Geneva," the statement read.

De Mistura did not rule out�inviting representatives of�the armed Syrian groups attending the talks in�Astana to�further negotiations in�Geneva under�the UN auspices.