MOSCOW. Feb 27 (Interfax) - The negotiations in Astana made it possible to take a huge step forward in the process of peaceful settlement in Syria, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said.
"We are convinced that the consultations in Astana were a significant contribution to the process of political negotiations on the Syrian issue in Geneva based on the UN Security Council resolution," Matviyenko said at the conference 'The Middle East: When Will Tomorrow Come?' held by the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow.
The negotiations in Astana are continuing with difficulty and "therefore some people may find the steps that have been taken to be very modest." "However, if we remember the atmosphere that existed in Syria and around it just a short time ago, one cannot help but admit that a really huge step forward has been taken," she said.
Matviyenko said that by providing military support to the Syrian government in the defeat of armed terrorist groups Russia increasingly emphasizes the intensification of the peaceful settlement process and the achievement of civil accord in the country. An important stage here were the consultations in Astana with political support from Russia, Turkey and Iran, she said.
"For the first time they involve representatives of the units of the armed Syrian opposition. It is vital that all parties eventually admitted that there is no alternative to political and diplomatic settlement and spoke in favor of maintaining the ceasefire," Matviyenko said.