Syria peace talks set for January 23 in Astana

Talks between Syria's government and opposition groups will take place in Kazakhstan's capital Astana on January 23, a Russian foreign ministry source said on Wednesday.

The talks will be hosted by Russia and Turkey, the two countries who brokered the current truce that went into effect on December 30.

"At this time there is no indication that the meeting will be postponed. The date of January 23 is set," the source told AFP of the negotiations.

Despite there currently being a ceasefire between opposition fighters and the Syrian regime, fighting has continued, particularly in areas where Syria's government say terror groups are present. This has led to accusations from both sides of having broken the current truce, which was carried out without the involvement of Washington.

Factions among Syria's opposition have expressed scepticism over the current peace effort, particularly as certain groups have been excluded from the Astana talks. 

On Tuesday, Syrian Kurdish groups said they were not invited to the discussions, despite them being a key ally of Western states in Syria's conflict. 

According to the diplomatic source cited by AFP, current preparations for the Astana talks involve compiling a list of participants.