Russia, Iran, Turkey back participation of Syrian rebels at Geneva talks

Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov (centre) reads a final statement on Syria peace talks as U.N. envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura (right) looks through his papers in Astana on Tuesday.

Russia, Iran and Turkey, sponsors of peace talks between Syrian rebels and Damascus, on Tuesday backed the armed opposition’s participation in U.N.-hosted negotiations in Geneva next month.

The countries “support the willingness of the armed opposition groups to participate in the next round of negotiations” under U.N. auspices in Geneva on February 8, 2017, said a final statement read by Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov after talks in Astana.