Regime for prisoner swap with Syria rebels

Fresh talks in Kazakh capital Astana aim to resolve outstanding issues of the conflict

The Syrian government said yesterday it was ready to agree prisoner swaps with rebel groups, a potential confidence-building measure as the United Nations prepares to convene new peace talks.

The Syrian opposition has long demanded a release of detainees held by the government as one of several humanitarian actions they say must take place ahead of any negotiations over Syria’s political future.

The government was “always ready” to exchange prisoners in its jails for people “kidnapped by terrorist groups”, Syrian state media cited an official source as saying.

A rebel official told Reuters the demand had been raised during indirect talks with the government in the Kazakh capital of Astana. A second rebel official, however, dismissed the official statement as a ruse, saying the number of detainees held by Damascus vastly outnumbered the few held by rebels.

The next round of UNsponsored peace talks are due to be held in Geneva next week, part of a new diplomatic effort backed by Russia and Turkey to end a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people.

Syrian government and rebel delegations held indirect talks in Astana last month in a parallel effort to shore up a ceasefire brokered by Turkey and Russia.

Kazakhstan says it has invited Syrian government and rebel delegations to further meetings in Astana on February 15-16. The rebel side has yet to say whether they will attend.