Kazakhstan postpones Syria talks by a day

United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura speaks after a meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano at the Farnesina Palace foreign office, in Rome, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. (Giuseppe Lami/ANSA via AP) (The Associated Press)

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United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, left, speaks with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano at the Farnesina Palace foreign office, in Rome, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. (Giuseppe Lami/ANSA via AP) (The Associated Press)

United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, left, shakes hands with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano on the occasion of their meeting at the Farnesina Palace foreign office, in Rome, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2017. (Giuseppe Lami/ANSA via AP) (The Associated Press)

BEIRUT – Kazakhstan says it has postponed talks aimed at firming up a Syrian cease-fire by one day.

The Kazakh Foreign Ministry says the talks, to be held in preparation for U.N.-brokered Syria negotiations in Geneva, will be postponed until Thursday. The ministry did not give a reason for the delay.

The two-day conference is aimed at bolstering a Dec. 30 cease-fire ahead of the U.N. talks slated to begin Feb. 23.

Kazakhstan hosted talks between rebels and the Syrian government in January to pave the way for the resumption of the U.N. process, which has been on hold since last April.

Rebels will send the same delegation to Thursday's talks, headed by Mohammad Alloush of the Islam Army rebel group.