Astana talks on Idlib truce begin

Talks to focus on creating conditions for return of refugees and reconstruction

Negotiators from Iran, Russia and Turkey met in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana yesterday, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said, for two days of talks aiming to preserve a fragile 10-week-old truce in northern Syria. Talks were underway between delegations from the three regional power-brokers as well as the Syrian regime and opposition, the ministry said in a statement.

In addition to cooling the conflict around the northern province of Idlib — Syria’s last major rebel and extremist stronghold — discussions will focus on creating conditions for the return of refugees and internally displaced people, as well as post-conflict reconstruction, the ministry said.

The United Nations will be represented at the negotiations by Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, according to the statement, in what will likely be his last engagement on the conflict before leaving the post.

The 10-week-old Idlib truce deal is in the balance after an alleged chemical attack in the regime-held city of Aleppo on Saturday which has triggered retaliatory raids.