Day 2 of Syria peace talks begins in Astana

By Azernews

By Kamila Aliyeva

Turkey, Russia and Iran have agreed during ongoing peace talks in the Kazakh capital Astana on a joint mechanism to guard against cease-fire violations in Syria, a source told Anadolu Agency.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media, said the countries will jointly monitor the truce through the mechanism and ensure its implementation.

Moreover, the countries involved in the mechanism will use their influence on violating parties to stop the attacks, the source added.

The tripartite mechanism is expected to be mentioned in the final declaration, which will be released at the end of the talks.

Peace talks aimed at ending the Syrian conflict entered the second day on January 24 in Kazakhstan's capital Astana.

The meeting is due to last until Tuesday evening, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said. However, the duration will be extended if need be.

The Syrian government and Syria’s armed opposition, delegations from Russia, Iran and Turkey and UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura attended the meeting held behind closed doors on January 23 . U.S. Ambassador to Kazakhstan George Krol attended the talks as an observer.

Commenting on the results of the first public session of talks, the head of the Syrian opposition delegation Mohammad Alloush noted that he hoped the negotiations would result in a truce that will help solve some humanitarian problems in Syria.

“The truce should show that it really works before we move on to other issues,” he said, Tass reports.

The Chief Advisor of the President of Turkey ,Yalcin Topcu called the talks in Astana "a historic event, which will give impetus to the process of restoring peace and stability in Syria, Iraq and the Middle East."

Negotiations on the Syrian settlement will not lead to quick results, but they will contribute to peace and stabilization in Syria, said Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmush during press conference on Monday.