Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed preparations for talks between the Syrian government and opposition in Astana with President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Kremlin said Friday.

Issues were discussed relating to the planned peaceful Syrian settlement talks in Astana, as well as the outcome of the St. Petersburg summit of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Collective Security Treaty Organization," the Kremlin said in a statement.

Putin announced on Thursday that the Syrian government and armed opposition groups had reached an agreement on a nationwide ceasefire in Syria and on readiness to start peace talks, the Russian news agency Sputnik reported.

Source MENA