TEHRAN – Russia's special envoy on Syria Alexander Lavrentiev met in Tehran on Saturday with Hossein Jaberi Ansari, the Iranian foreign minister’s special aide in political affairs, who acts as Iran’s point man for Arab affairs.

The meeting anticipates a trilateral summit of the presidents of the guarantor states of the Syria peace process, Iran, Russia, and Turkey, scheduled to be held on February 14 in Russia’s Sochi.

Since January 2017, Moscow, Tehran, and Ankara have been mediating dialogue between representatives from the Damascus government and opposition groups in a series of talks held in Astana and other places. The talks are collectively referred to as the Astana peace process or the Astana Group.

SP/PA