Politics
21:58, 22-Dec-2017
Syrian congress of national dialogue to be held in Sochi in January
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According to a joint statement released after talks in Kazakhstan's capital Astana on Friday, a Syrian congress of national dialogue will be held in the Russian city of Sochi on January 29 and 30.
The congress will be held "with the participation of all segments of Syrian society," according to the statement which came after two days of negotiations sponsored by Russia, Iran and Turkey. The participants of the congress are still being discussed.
A working group on the release of detainees from both sides in the Syrian War was also set up on Friday. UN Syria Envoy Staffan de Mistura said it was a commendable first step towards an arrangement between the warring sides.
The Astana talks have run in parallel with the negotiations taking place in Geneva with the backing of the United Nations. De Mistura said the plan to hold the Syrian congress in Sochi should be carefully assessed by its ability to contribute to and support the UN-led Geneva talks on ending the war in Syria.
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Source(s): AFP
,Reuters