MNA -President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev has addressed the participants of the international meeting devoted to peaceful settlement of the Syrian conflict.Kazakhstan Minister of Foreign Affairs Kairat Abdrakhmanov read the welcome letter of the Head of State in the opening of the negotiations.

"The complex situation in Syria is drawing attention of the entire world community. We must confess that the six-year long blood-shedding conflict has not brought anything but disaster and grief to the sacred land where different civilizations and cultures are interlaced," he said.

He underlines in this address that being a peaceful country and non-permanent member of the UN Security Council Kazakhstan is interested establishment and consolidation of security and stability in the Middle East.

"Today's meeting is clear manifestation of the international efforts aimed at peaceful settlement of the situation in Syria. Kazakhstan strongly believes that the only right way of solution of the situation in Syria is negotiation based on mutual trust and mutual understanding", Nursultan Nazarbayev underlines.

"We allocated over USD 700 thousand to the Syrian refugees to alleviate their suffering. Recently we have sent 500 tons of humanitarian help which consisted of food products. I am confident that the meeting in Astana will provide the necessary conditions for finding the acceptable solution of the Syrian conflict within the Geneva process under the UN aegis and will contribute to establishment of peace and stability in Syria. I wish productive and fruitful negotiations!", Kazakh president told the meeting.

As reported, the negotiations have begun today in Rixos Hotel in Astana where the representatives of seven parties are now being welcomed.

Namely, according to the MFA, the Governments of Russia, Turkey, Iran, USA, Syria, and Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for Syria and the Syrian opposition confirmed their participation.