9th round of Astana talks to be held on May 14-15

ASTANA

The ninth round of Astana talks on Syria will take place on May 14-15, said Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

According to a written statement by the ministry, the talks will be attended by the three guarantor countries -- Turkey, Russia and Iran -- and representatives of the Syrian regime as well as opposition groups.

The statement also said observer countries, the U.S. and Jordan, were invited to the meeting.

The latest developments in the de-escalation zones and humanitarian issues are among the main topics expected to be discussed, it added.

During the eighth round of peace talks aimed at ending the Syria conflict on December 21-22, 2017, the delegations agreed on the release of detainees and mine cleaning in historical sites in the country.

Reporting by Aliia Raimbekova:Writing by Sena Guler