Syrian opposition, Russian negotiators meet in Turkey

A Syrian opposition delegation and a Russian negotiation team met on Friday in Ankara to discuss the preparations for the intra-Syrian peace talks, due in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Monday, the Syrian opposition said in a statement.
Held in collaboration with Turkey, the meeting focused on the agenda of the peace talks and the two sides explored the prospects of a peaceful solution to the Syrian conflict based on the Geneva communiqué of 2012 and the UN Security Council Resolution 2254.
During the meeting, the Syrian delegation stressed the need of full commitment by the Syrian regime to the ceasefire brokered and guaranteed by Russia and Turkey late last month.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Friday he believed peace talks in Kazakhstan would lead to local "reconciliation" deals with rebels, a sign of his confidence in a process launched by his Russian allies after the opposition's defeat in Aleppo, according to Reuters.
He added that he hopes the conference would be a platform to discuss "everything" but that it was unclear if there would be political dialogue "because it is not clear who will participate."
The Syrian delegation briefed the Russian negotiators on the breaches of the fragile truce by the Syrian regular troops and the pro-regime militias, particularly in Wadi Barada and Eastern Ghouta.
They asked the Russian side to convey their protest against the ongoing violations to the Russian leadership, according to the statement.
Besides Russia and Turkey, the Astana talks are expected to gather representatives of the United Nations, the United States and Iran.