8th round of Astana talks on Syria could be held after December 20 – Kazakhstan

The eighth round of Syria talks in Astana could be held after December 20, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Akylbek Kamaldinov said on Friday. No exact date has been set yet, he said, adding that Russia, Iran and Turkey – guarantors of the Syrian settlement process – are coordinating their positions. The previous meeting was held in the Kazakh capital on October 30-31, with participants from the Syrian government and opposition groups. In the Saudi capital, Riyadh, representatives of the main Syrian opposition groups said after a meeting late on Thursday they would form a 50-member delegation to participate in UN-sponsored talks in Geneva.