Zakharova: We are discussing the "Astana" agenda and the priority is for the detainees' file

ARK News… A spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said that Russia, Iran, and Turkey are working on the agenda of the Astana conference’s talks on Syria, and indicated that the detainee file will receive more attention from the guarantor countries.

In a press statement, today Friday, November 6, Zakharova stressed the need to postpone the dates of the meeting on Syria in the Kazakh capital, Astana, due to the pandemic of the "emerging corona" virus (Covid-19), according to what was reported by the Russian "TASS" agency.

She added, "We are trying to take advantage of this forced pause, to think with partners about how to fill the Astana meetings with new specific topics side by side, with a concrete discussion on the possibility of overcoming the existing problems, in order to achieve a goal of this topic."

Zakharova indicated that the guarantor countries would also consider giving these meetings "a new impetus through greater activity within the framework of the working group for the release of detainees and kidnappers, the handover of the bodies and the search for the missing."

The 14th round of Astana talks was held on December 10, 2019, and the guarantor states affirmed their commitment to the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Syria, and their commitment to the principles and objectives of the United Nations Charter.

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