Kazakhstan's Deputy Foreign Minister Kanat Tumić unexpectedly called for an end to the peace talks for Syria between Russia, Turkey, and Iran, after hosting them for a long time, stating that "their goal has been achieved." Tumić noted, "Syria's gradual exit from isolation in the region can be seen as a sign that the Astana process has completed its mission." He added, "Given Syria's return to the Arab (nations) family, we propose to officially declare that the twentieth meeting of the Astana process is the last."
Russia responded to the ending of the talks, saying that "meetings can continue elsewhere." Diplomats from the three countries had gathered in Astana this week for the twentieth time to discuss the situation on the ground, a roadmap for rebuilding Turkish-Syrian relations, Israeli attacks, and a range of other issues.
The negotiating parties issued a joint statement after the talks, announcing that "the next meeting will be held later this year." Russian negotiator Alexander Lavrentiev stated, "We cannot say that the Astana process is over. However, if the Kazakh side decides that there is a need to move it to a different location, we will discuss it and choose a venue." He suggested that Russia, Turkey, and Iran could, for example, take turns hosting the meetings.
