Syria peace talks enter 2nd day with plenary meeting

A plenary meeting will take place during the second day of Syrian peace talks in Astana, which aims to end the Syrian conflict and maintain ceasefire in the war-torn Arab state.
The talks involve the delegations of the government and the opposition, Russia, Turkey, Iran, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and US Ambassador to Kazakhstan George Krol acting as an observer.
The Syrian government and the opposition will continue discussing ways to maintain ceasefire in Syria. De Mistura, who is mediating the talks, has voiced optimism about their outcome.
The first face-to-face meeting between Syrian rebel fighters and government officials in nearly six years of civil war ended abruptly on Monday when diplomatic talks quickly devolved into harsh words and competing accusations.
The participants plan to finalize a document, consolidating the ceasefire and confirming the determination of the sides towards settling the Syrian crisis.
The effort was expected to be completed by 1 p.m. local time (0700GMT). However, late on Monday the participants of talks were skeptical about this timeframe.
The negotiations are tough as many issues and reciprocal claims have accrued over the years of the conflict, which began in 2011. It is not ruled out that the work on the document may last until late Tuesday. However, there is no talk on extending the meeting for another day.
The talks are held at the Rixos President Astana in downtown Astana. The participants are due to sum up the results of the meeting at a joint news conference at the Kazmedia center. The event is scheduled for 2 p.m. local time (0800GMT). The representatives of all the delegations are expected to attend the news conference.