UN envoy hails 1st step in Astana on Syria detainees, cautious on Sochi congress plan

UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said Syria talks in the Kazakh capital Astana on Friday had agreed on a “working group” for the release of detainees, Reuters reported. He described the decision as a commendable first step towards an arrangement between the warring sides. The envoy also said that Russia’s plan to convene a Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi next month should be assessed by “its ability to contribute to and support the UN-led Geneva talks on ending the war in Syria.”