A new round of Astana talks over Syria

A new round of negotiations is scheduled to be launched in the capital of Kazakhstan Astana to resolve the Syrian crisis and to consolidate the cease-fire agreement sponsored by Turkey, Iran and Russia. Although the decision taken by the Syrian opposition to boycott this meeting, the meeting will discuss the issues on its agenda.

Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Khairat Abdel Rahmanov said that the sponsoring states, including Turkey, Russia and Iran, will resumed their efforts to hold a new round of negotiations, stressing the need for resuming the political approach to resolve the Syrian crisis.

Syrian governmental television announced the arrival of the governmental delegation, headed by Syrian Representative to the United Nations Bashar Al Jaffary, to Astana, while the Syrian opposition announced that they will not participate in this round of negotiations due to the failure of Syrian government to honor its commitment to the cease-fire agreement.

Osama Abu Zaid, a spokesman for the rebels said they had taken a final decision not to go to the talks as a result of Russia's failure to end what the opposition says are widespread violations of a Turkish-Russian brokered ceasefire last December.

"Currently the decision is not to go as a result of Russia continuing its crimes in Syria against civilians and its support of the crimes of the Syrian regime," he said, adding that they had informed Turkey, a main backer of the rebels, of their decision.

Colonel Ahmad Othman, who heads the Turkish-backed Sultan Murad rebel brigade, earlier said rebels were awaiting a Russian response to a letter that demands Moscow acts as a guarantor and ends violations of the ceasefire.

"Nothing has been implemented so far," said Othman, complaining of Russian strikes on civilians and assaults by the Syrian army in rebel-held areas.

Syrian rebel groups on Saturday called for the postponement of the Russian-backed peace talks in Kazakhstan and said further meetings would depend on whether the Syrian government and its allies adhered to a newly declared March 7-20 ceasefire.

On the other hand, Spokesperson of U.S Pentagon Jeff Davis revealed that his country deployed 100 troops, saying that their role is to prevent the risk of fighting between Syrian Democratic Troops supported by the International Coalition on one hand and the Free Syrian Army on the other hand, saying that they managed to achieve this objective.