Russia will host the next summit in the Astana format (Moscow, Ankara, Tehran) on its territory, Alexander Lavrentiev, the Russian President's Special Representative for the Syrian settlement, told TASS.
"As the host country for the upcoming summit, we need to allocate sufficient time for its execution," Lavrentiev stated. "The decision to convene a new summit was made in 2022. There were certain conditions for hosting such a meeting by the end of 2023, however, the situation surrounding the Gaza Strip complicated matters. New issues came up that required immediate intervention at the highest level," he added.
The timing of the summit will hinge on Russian President Vladimir Putin's schedule, Lavrentiev indicated. "The president's schedule is quite packed, with numerous engagements," - he explained. - "Sometimes, securing even a few hours in the president's schedule proves challenging, let alone coordinating it with the schedules of the presidents of Iran and Turkey."
The Astana format of political settlement in Syria was initiated by Russia, Turkey, and Iran, who also served as guarantors of a peaceful resolution to the Syrian conflict. Representatives of official Damascus and delegations of the Syrian opposition participated in the negotiations, which began in January 2017 in Astana, hence the name "Astana process."
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Based on materials from TASS