Russia, Turkey prepare for a meeting on Syria in Kazakhstan

Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that foreign ministers of Russia and Turkey have communicated about preparations for a possible meeting on Syria to be held in Kazakhstan.

The ministry said Sergey Lavrov and Mevlut Cavusoglu continued to exchange views on the situation in the embattled country.

"They emphasized the importance of an immediate finalization of the practical parameters of the cessation of hostilities … and the preparations for the meeting in Astana at the invitation of the Kazakh government," a ministry statement read.

Moscow, Ankara and Tehran will further build cooperation on Syria, Lavrov told Russia’s Interfax news agency.

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia, Turkey and Iran had agreed on an earlier suggestion to bring together representatives of the Syrian regime and opposition in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev had expressed his "readiness" to provide a platform for talks in Astana to solve the long-standing crisis.