Kazakhstan says ready for Syria talks in Astana on January 23

ALMATY - Kazakhstan is fully ready to hold talks on Syria in its capital Astana on Jan. 23, Russia's RIA news agency reported on Tuesday, citing the Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov. Russia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally, pushed for peace talks in Astana after Assad's forces won a major victory in eastern Aleppo. The Astana talks are also backed by Turkey. The United States, which led failed efforts to launch peace talks last year, has not been directly involved in the latest diplomacy.