Preparations underway for intra-Syria meeting in Kazakhstan's capital

Preparations for a possible meeting between the Syrian government and the opposition in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana are currently underway, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

According to the ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, the meeting would not happen in the next few days or coming weeks.

"The date, format and participants in the expected intra-Syrian talks have yet to be determined," she told reporters. "Experts are talking about medium-term prospects, as this process cannot be kept on ice for long."

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed such a meeting in Astana in a phone conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The proposal has been supported by both Erdogan and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Earlier on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed preparations of the talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in a phone talks.

Zakharova said the proposed talks would not mean to substitute the meetings in Geneva, although they would have a "different platform, a different format, and different aims and targets," which have yet to be detailed.

"The global aim remains the same, which is a comprehensive settlement of the situation in Syria, but nuances of what is going to happen on the Astana platform will be different," she said.

The spokeswoman also expressed Moscow's concerns over a U.S. decision to ease some restrictions on arming Syrian rebels, saying it would be "counterproductive" and a "threat to Russian forces in Syria," and dangerous for the region.

Earlier this month, outgoing U.S. President Barack Obama ordered a waiver of restrictions on military aid for foreign forces in Syria in the Arms Export Control Act. Endi