Crossroads Asia

Astana Syria Talks: Pressure and Prominence Rising

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Crossroads Asia

Astana Syria Talks: Pressure and Prominence Rising

Next week peace talks are scheduled in Kazakhstan, but can the chaos of the Syrian war be settled on the steppe?

Astana Syria Talks: Pressure and Prominence Rising
Credit: Flickr / Alex J. Butler

Next week, from January 23 to 25, the Kazakh capital will host peace talks sponsored by Russia, Turkey, and Iran between a delegation of Syrian rebels and the government of Bashar al-Assad. Kazakhstan’s role, as that of a neutral venue, is important but will sink into the background as the negotiations (and the organizers) take center stage.

Russia, the Syrian government’s major ally, has led the effort to organize talks in Astana, which gained momentum after rebels suffered a major defeat in Aleppo last month.

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