Lavrov says US invited to Syria talks in Astana

Russia has invited the U.S. to take part in the upcoming intra-Syrian talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Jan. 23, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Jan. 19. 

"The U.S. have already been invited," Lavrov told reporters in Moscow, according to state-run Anadolu Agency. 

Previously, Lavrov had said invitations for the talks in Astana had been sent, but the participant list would only become clear after official replies

On Jan. 19, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov met John Tefft, U.S. ambassador to Russia to discuss the Syrian crisis as well as the Astana talks, the Foreign Ministry said. 

Negotiations between the Syrian government and opposition negotiators to reach a political solution to the six-year war in Syria are due to begin on Jan. 23. 

Following last month's Syria cease-fire deal, brokered by Turkey and Russia, the Astana meeting comes as part of ongoing efforts by the two countries to promote a political solution in war-torn Syria. 

The United Nations' peace envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, will attend the Astana talks, the U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Jan. 19.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asked de Mistura to attend "in light of the complexity and importance of the issues likely to be raised in Astana, and of the senior level at which the conveners of the meeting will be represented," said Dujarric.

Guterres "is looking forward to the Astana meeting being a positive step, ahead of the resumption of intra-Syria negotiations in Geneva," he added.

U.N.-brokered peace talks on Syria are due to resume in Geneva on Feb. 8.

Meanwhile, key rebel group Ahrar al-Sham said on Jan. 18 that it would not take part in the...