MOSCOW — Acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Stuart Jones will represent the United States in the next round of Syria de-escalation talks in Kazakhstan’s Astana, a knowledgeable source told Interfax on Monday.

Stuart E. Jones

Ambassador Jones has extensive experience in Iraq. He was Deputy Chief of Mission at the American Embassy in Baghdad in 2010-2011, Governorate Coordinator in Al Anbar Province in 2004, and Country Director for Iraq at the National Security Council.

TASS agency reported that Russia, Turkey and Iran have confirmed their participation in the next international meeting on Syria scheduled to be held in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana on July 4-5, Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov told reporters on Monday. According to the Kazakh top diplomat, United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and the Jordanian delegation have also confirmed their participation. "We expect the United States to send their high-ranking representative to take part in the next Astana meeting as an observer," the Kazakh foreign minister added.