ASTANA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd November, 2022) The United States could return to the "Astana format", participate in it, as before, this would be a good step, Russian special presidential envoy for Syria, Alexander Lavrentyev, said on Wednesday.
"We believe that the involvement of other countries in the work in the Astana format is indeed very useful. And here we are talking not only about China, we are ready to consider the candidacies of other countries for participation. As you know, at the initial stage, when the first international meeting on Syria, when it was being prepared here in Astana, there were Americans as observers, there was the European Union, a number of European countries that sat at this table listened attentively to everyone, with whom we held detailed consultations on our further actions," he said during a press conference following the results of the 19th international meeting on Syria in the Astana format.
"Of course, I believe that if the Americans returned to the Astana format, it would also be very useful, if two countries like the United States and China were present as observers in the Astana format, it would be a very good step, a good signal both for the international community and for the direction of the Syrian settlement in general," Lavrentyev added
