MOSCOW. Feb 17 (Interfax) - Russia, Iran, and Turkey, as guarantors of the settlement process in Syria, expect the United States to return to negotiations in the Astana format as an observer, Russian special presidential envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev said on Wednesday.
"We are still open to American participation and believe that, after all, it would be the right thing for them to resume their presence and try to find mutually acceptable options for settling the Syria crisis with us," Lavrentyev said at a press conference following the 15th meeting on Syria in the Astana format, held this time around in Sochi.