12:41, 29-Jan-2018
Syria Crisis: Geneva, Astana and Sochi become synonymous with discussions on future
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The Sochi Talks are not the only meeting attempting to tackle the crisis in Syria. Several rounds of talks have been held in Geneva and Astana. Here's a look back at some of the previous gatherings and what they aimed to accomplish.
Geneva, Astana and Sochi have become synonymous for Syrians and the international discussion on the future of the country.
The UN initiated Syrian peace talks in Geneva, hoping to pursue peace negotiations between the Syrian government and the opposition. The negotiations focus on four "baskets", including a new constitution, governance, elections and combating terrorism.
The key focus of the Astana talks is establishing a ceasefire agreement. With Russia and Turkey acting as guarantors, the Astana talks are aimed at establishing four "de-escalation zones" in mainly opposition-held areas.
Russia's coastal Black Sea resort city of Sochi is the latest addition to the list of peace talks locations. Moscow expanded the circle of invited candidates to more than 1,000 politicians to form the Constitutional Committee. Syria's constitution, elections, and the 12 principles on the country's future will be the key topics.
Years of diplomatic talks have passed, and the government delegation and armed opposition groups have not seemed to reach an agreement.