During the meeting the parties discussed the forthcoming negotiations on settling the conflict in Syria.
Nursultan Nazarbayev said about Astana’s readiness for negotiations, stressing that the conditions had been created for all the participants.
- I have accepted the offer of the Presidents of Russia, Turkey and Iran to hold negotiations in Astana. We would like to make this meeting successful. Since Kazakhstan has an equal relationship of trust with all the participants of the meeting, I think it will create all conditions for normal negotiations, the President of Kazakhstan said.
The Head of State stressed that at present Syria's problem concerns not only the Middle East but the entire world community.
- I hope the parties, as we are, are considerate of the events. As experts say, since the beginning of the conflict more than 300 thousand people have been killed. All that encourages us to hope that the issue can only be resolved peacefully, Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
The Kazakh President assured the UN envoy that the meeting in Astana would make a significant contribution to the preparations for peace talks in Geneva.
Staffan de Mistura thanked the President of Kazakhstan on behalf of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres for the opportunity to hold talks in Astana.
- Your country has already shown a lot of experience and an example in regulation of the most difficult situations in the international arena. And non-permanent membership of Kazakhstan in the UN Security Council would be an additional opportunity in resolving the Syrian conflict, Staffan de Mistura said.
Following the meeting, the sides exchanged views on further measures to settle the armed conflict.
