According to Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry, the return of Syrian refugees will be one of the main agenda topics during the 18th Astana format discussions on Syria, which will begin on Wednesday in Nur Sultan.
During the two-day talks, delegations from Turkey, Russia, and Iran will meet with the Syrian regime and opposition forces as guarantor countries.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry’s director-general responsible for Syria, Ambassador Selcuk Unal, will represent Ankara at the sessions.
Alexandr Lavrentyev, Russia’s presidential envoy for Syria, will lead the Moscow team, while Ali Asghar Khaji, a top aide to Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, will represent Tehran.
As observers, a UN delegation led by Robert Dunn, the special envoy for Syria’s principal political affairs officer, a Jordanian delegation, representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and the International Committee of the Red Cross will attend the meeting.
The parties will examine the conditions for the safe return of Syrian refugees, the humanitarian and socio-economic situation in Syria, the work of the Geneva-based Constitutional Committee, confidence-building measures, the release of hostages, and the hunt for missing persons.
