Syrian peace talks begin in Kazakhstan today

Key players in the war in Syria are due to meet today in Astana to begin talks aimed at consolidating a nationwide ceasefire and potentially paving the way towards a political settlement.The talks, organised by Russia, Turkey and Iran, come weeks into a countrywide ceasefire brokered by Moscow and Ankara that has largely held despite incidents of violence across the country. The negotiations, expected to last several days, will bring together representatives from the armed opposition, along with delegates from the Syrian government, Russia, Turkey, Iran and the United Nations, and are to be followed by a



UN-mediated meeting in Geneva on February 8th.UN Special Envoy on Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is participating in the talks that officially begin today and will last at least until yesterday. 

The opposition has said that its sole focus will be to shore up a nationwide ceasefire, while Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian President, has said he believes the talks will lead to local reconciliation deals with rebels. Analysts say the meeting in Astana marks a distinct change from what has previously been a diplomatic process led by UN and initiatives put forward jointly by the United States and Russia.