Reaching and implementing a ceasefire in Syria will be the main focus at the upcoming peace talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana, Syrian opposition delegation leader and former army general Mustafa al-Sheikh said on Friday in Moscow. At a press briefing, al-Sheikh, the former head of the Free Syrian Army military council, said it would be a major achievement if the Astana talks, scheduled for Jan. 23, would lead to a nationwide ceasefire in the war-torn country. A 'nationwide' ceasefire agreement backed by Russia and Turkey was reached in December, but fighting in certain parts of Syria have continued. The opposition delegation has called for a 10-day ceasefire that would include parts of the country such as Damascus and east Ghouta starting on Friday.
