The Kazakh Foreign Ministry welcomed the joint statement adopted at the end of the Astana 8 meeting by the guarantor states of the cessation of hostilities agreement in Syria.

The ministry said, in a statement on Saturday, that “significant progress in the talks reflected on a number of issues on the agenda,” noting that an emphasis was laid on the importance of subsequent efforts to strengthen the system of cessation of hostilities and to guarantee the effective performance of all four de-escalation zones which were agreed upon.

On Friday, the guarantor states renewed their commitment to Syria’s territorial integrity and finding a political solution to the crisis in it.

They called, in the final statement of Astana 8 meeting, for taking immediate and active international steps to help Syrians achieve a political solution.

The guarantor states stressed their determination to work towards supporting the preparations for the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in the Russian city of Sochi on January 29-30 with the participation of all segments of Syrian society.