Sochi Congress Takes Center Stage in Astana

The eighth round of Russian-sponsored peace talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana opened on Thursday, with a focus on Moscow’s proposed Syria national congress, Agence France-Presse reported.

Representatives from Russia, Iran, Turkey, the Syrian government and the opposition are taking part in the negotiations.

Speaking after the first day of meetings, chief Russian negotiator Aleksandr Lavrentyev said that “quite a lot of time” had been dedicated to discussing Moscow’s planned Syria congress, which is set to be held in the city of Sochi at an unspecified date in early 2018, according to AFP.

The congress, Lavrentyev said, would be “a platform that offers the different representatives of Syrian society the opportunity to solve matters of political settlement that so far have not been [at talks] in Geneva.”

Meanwhile, the United Nations’ special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said he would attend the second day of talks in Astana on Friday, AFP reported.

He made the announcement before meeting Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and defense minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow on Thursday.

During the meeting, Lavrov said that Friday’s talks would focus on who would be invited to the congress in Sochi.

De Mistura refused to make any further comment on the proposed congress, but said that peace talks should proceed “one step at a time.”

Kurdish groups in Syria said on Thursday that they are planning to attend the talks in Sochi, according to Reuters.

Rebel Shelling Kills Three in Aleppo

Syrian rebels shelled the northern city of Aleppo on Thursday, killing at least three people, including two children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The attacks targeted the al-Khalidiya and al-Neel neighborhoods, the United Kingdom-based monitoring group said, adding that the number of casualties may increase as other victims had been seriously injured.

According to the SOHR, the shelling came ahead of celebrations by the Syrian government and Aleppo residents to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the city’s recapture by government forces.

Australia Ends Airstrikes in Syria

Australia announced on Friday that it will end all airstrike operations in Syria against the so-called Islamic State, the Associated Press reported.

Australia’s Super Hornet fighter jets have been conducting strikes in Syria as part of the United States-led international coalition for around three years.

Defense minister Marise Payne told reporters that the fighter jets will be recalled but Australia will continue to provide support through surveillance and refueling of aircraft.

As Australia announced an end to its operations in Syria, Russia called on U.S. forces to pull out of the war-torn country.

“Any reasons cited by the Americans to justify their further military presence … are just excuses and we think their presence must end,” negotiator Aleksandr Lavrentyev told reporters on Thursday, according to Newsweek.

The Pentagon, however, said earlier this month that U.S. forces will stay in Syria as long as they are needed in order to prevent ISIS returning.

Recommended Reads:

• The Associated Press: Syria War Winds Down but Tangled Map Belies Conflict Ahead
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• Agence France-Presse: This Christmas, Raqa’s Churches Demined but Deserted
• The Associated Press: AP Exclusive: Syria War Unwinding Ups Uighur Threat to China
• Agence France-Presse: Thousands in Syria’s Aleppo Mark One Year Since ‘Victory’
• CNN: Child Malnutrition Soars in Besieged Damascus Enclave