The delegations of Turkey, Iran, and Russia have arrived in Kazakhstan's capital, Nur-Sultan, for two days of trilateral talks, Kazakh Foreign Ministry spokesman Aibek Smadiyarov has told reporters.
The meetings are designed to find a permanent solution for the eight-year Syrian civil war and include ongoing talks on drafting a postwar constitution, political transition, security, and resettlement of refugees.
Known as the Astana process, the first meeting was held in Turkey in January 2017 to buttress UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva.
This is the 14th such meeting to take place.
Sanat Kushkumbaev, deputy director of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies, told Euroactiv on December 5 that the meeting will "focus on technical issues, in the northern part of Syria, the area of Idlib, and the banks of the Euphrates."
He added: "It's about expanding previous agreements regarding the same zone, in the northeastern direction. This is a sensitive area where there are Turks, Kurds, and remains of the terrorists from Islamic State."
