Editing Astana (section)

== Diplomacy platform ==
Astana has become a platform for high-profile diplomatic talks and summits on critical global issues. Astana has hosted multiple rounds of talks between the [[Syria|Syrian Arab Republic government]] led by [[Bashar al-Assad]] and [[Syrian opposition to Bashar al-Assad|Syrian opposition]].<ref name="astanadiplo">{{cite news |title=Kazakhstan's New Capital Is Growing Up Quick |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/arielcohen/2018/06/08/kazakhstans-new-capital-is-growing-up-quick/2/#78fabb225192 |agency=Forbes |access-date=28 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629023120/https://www.forbes.com/sites/arielcohen/2018/06/08/kazakhstans-new-capital-is-growing-up-quick/2/#78fabb225192 |archive-date=29 June 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> The 12th Ministerial Conference of the [[World Trade Organization]] (WTO) was originally scheduled to take place in June 2020 in then Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, WTO members discussed Kazakhstan's offer to reschedule the conference to June 2021 but postponed taking a decision due to the ongoing pandemic. In April 2021, members agreed that MC12 would take place in Geneva from 30 November to 3 December.<ref name="mc12wto">{{cite web |url=https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news21_e/minis_01mar21_e.htm |title=Twelfth Ministerial Conference to take place in Geneva in late 2021 |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=1 March 2021 |website=www.wto.org |publisher=World Trade Organization |access-date=16 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301122823/https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news21_e/minis_01mar21_e.htm |archive-date=1 March 2021 }}</ref> Since 2003, Astana has hosted the Congress on World and Traditional Religions, which is a diverse gathering of religious leaders to discuss religious harmony and ending terrorism and extremism.<ref name="vthcongress">{{cite web |title=Vth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions |url=https://en.unesco.org/events/vth-congress-leaders-world-and-traditional-religions |publisher=UNESCO |access-date=28 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629021937/https://en.unesco.org/events/vth-congress-leaders-world-and-traditional-religions |archive-date=29 June 2018 |url-status=live |date=27 July 2015}}</ref>