ANKARA

The 18th Astana meeting began Wednesday in the Kazakh capital of Nur Sultan to discuss conditions for the safe return of Syrian refugees and the humanitarian and socio-economic situation in Syria.

The two-day gathering will also tackle the work of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva, confidence-building measures, release of hostages and the search for missing persons.

Türkiye is represented by ambassador Selcuk Unal, the Turkish Foreign Ministry's director-general for Syria.

The delegation from Moscow is headed by Alexandr Lavrentyev, Russia's presidential envoy for Syria, and Ali Asghar Khaji, a senior aide to Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, represents Iran.

The Astana process initiated under the leadership of Türkiye and Russia to bring a cease-fire and conflict processes under control in Syria continues to be operated as a platform where political and humanitarian issues are discussed.

The peace process was launched in January 2017 at the initiative of Türkiye, Russia and Iran. Its meetings also contribute to the advancement of an UN-led diplomatic process in Geneva.

While the main agenda of the 15th meeting in February 2021 was the work of the Constitutional Committee, in the next round in July 2021, the guarantor countries asked the Committee to speed up its work.

Confidence-building measures such as the current situation in Syria, delivery of humanitarian aid, resumption of the work of the Syrian Constitutional Committee in Geneva, exchange of prisoners, release of detainees and the search for missing persons were the main agenda items at the 17th meeting in December 2021.

Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011 when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters with unexpected ferocity.