Assad regime negotiator Bashar Jaafari calls for respecting nation-wide ceasefire and the closure of borders with Turkey on first day of talks in the Kazakh capital, government-run newspaper reports
Coalition reports that Syria’s rebel delegation to the Astana meetings demands the departure of Assad, as well as rejecting Iran’s involvement as a guarantor in any political process while calling for the removal of Iranian-backed militias from Syrian territory
Opposition press Sada al-Sham describes a Syria whose middle class has disappeared and has allowed low-level traders, gangsters and petty criminals to thrive at the expense of a humiliated population
Government news agency SANA publishes transcript of Syrian president’s interview with Japanese journalist regarding the state of the current ceasefire, this week’s peace talks in Kazakhstan, and what is likely to come from a Trump presidency
According to Coalition media reports, deputy opposition president believes FSA and other rebel groups will form a joint council to monitor the ceasefire following negotiations with the regime in the Kazakh capital
Alsouria Net speaks to insider at recent meetings between Turkish representatives and the Syrian armed opposition, in which most major rebel groups — except Ahrar al-Sham — agreed to attend the negotiations with the Assad regime in Astana next week
Opposition president says Russia would be showing a sign of good faith if it agrees to enforce international resolutions and hold war criminals to account
Syria’s main political opposition warns against premature efforts to rebuild the country, stating that international agreements must be recognized before the process can begin
Government-run newspaper SANA says Russia accepts the attendance of the UN Syria envoy at Monday’s negotiations in Kazakhstan
Iqtissad speaks to experts on why recent changes to Turkey’s new citizenship law, designed to attract large sums of foreign money, are unlikely to persuade wealthy Syrians to invest millions into the country
Loyalist Al-Watan newspaper writes that Erdogan’s mounting domestic and international problems will force the Turkish president to accept that the only way to restore his regional standing will be through rapprochement with Assad
Senior political adviser announces he is pulling out of the opposition bloc, claiming the Coalition refused to learn from its experiences after years of mistakes
Russian FM says opposition delegation at Astana will include those groups who have signed December’s cessation of hostilities agreement, calling on all factions not linked to ISIS or Nusra to join the truce ahead of negotiations
Iranian president hails the liberation of Aleppo as a critical step towards establishing peace and stability in Syria as countries ready to gather in Kazakhstan for negotiations on the crisis
In statements to Lebanese television, Syria’s deputy FM takes jab at Doha and Riyadh for their backing of terror groups in Syria, denying them space at the negotiating table unless support to armed groups is stopped
Writing for All4Syria, Walid Bunni urges opposition factions attending the upcoming talks in Astana to resist foreign pressure for short-term gains
Syria and Iran sign contracts on economic cooperation in oil, mobile communications, agriculture, animal resources and industry, with an additional agreement to develop Syria’s ports currently in the pipeline
How will the Syrian opposition go to Astana and what are the issues to watch out for? Political opposition and religious figures speak with Alsouria Net about what strategic changes must be made in order to emerge successful
Minister Abdrakhmanov proposing next Monday as the working date to hold talks on Syria in the Kazakh capital
Lack of training for women risks putting more than half the population out of work, but why would Syrian society prevent large numbers of its potential human energy from working when it is in dire need of assistance in farming, education, health, and construction?
