Trio to Meet Ahead of Syria talks

Turkey, Russia and Iran—guarantor countries of the ceasefire in Syria—will meet in Astana, Kazakhstan, next week, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. The meeting will take place on Monday, a day before a fifth round of Astana talks, to resolve the situation in Syria, Anadolu Agency reported.  Representatives from the Syrian government, the armed opposition and observer states are also expected to attend. Items on the agenda include the borders of de-escalation zones, documents regulating the activities of control forces and provisions for a coordination center, the ministry added. During a meeting in the Kazakh capital on May 4, the three guarantor countries signed a deal to establish de-escalation zones in Syria. They will also plan regulations on the release of detainees and prisoners, and the search for missing people.