Russia says Syrian government and opposition are holding talks: Ifax

MOSCOW (Reuters) December 27, 2016 – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that the Syrian government was holding talks with the opposition ahead of a possible wider meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, the Interfax news agency reported.
Lavrov did not say where the current talks were being held.
President Vladimir Putin has that Russia, Iran, Turkey and Syrian Bashar al-Assad have all agreed that the Kazakh capital should be the venue for new Syrian peace negotiations.
The RIA news agency cited an unnamed diplomatic source earlier on Tuesday as saying that representatives from the Russian and Turkish militaries were holding consultations with the Syrian opposition in Ankara about how a possible nationwide ceasefire might work