First Syria peace talks in a year kick off in Astana

Syria peace talks have kicked off Monday morning in the Kazakh capital today bringing together for the first time the opposition and representatives of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since United Nations-brokered negotiations in Geneva were suspended early last year.
Representatives of the Syria regime and rebel factions sat at the same round table as Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov delivered an opening speech.
On Sunday, rebels have said they would not negotiate face-to-face with the government in the first session.
The talks, backed by Russia and Turkey, are the first between the two warring sides in a year. The talks are expected to focus on consolidating a shaky ceasefire that has been in place since December 30.
Syria's U.N. ambassador Bashar Ja'afari, head of its delegation to peace talks in Astana, said on Sunday the main points on the agenda included strengthening ceasefire lines and reaching common ground on fighting terrorism, reported SANA, Syria's official news agency.
Ja'afari added in a press conference in Astana that Damascus regarded the peace talks as only being between Syrian parties and that Turkey would not participate in dialogue.