SOCHI, October 17. /TASS/. Egypt has received an invitation to join the talks on Syria in Astana as an observer, an Egyptian source familiar with the situation around the intra-Syrian settlement informed TASS.

"Egypt has been invited to take part in the Astana process as an observer," the source said. "Egypt is expected to join the negotiations."

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Ansari said following sixth round of the Syria talks in Astana held in mid-September that the guarantor countries of the Syrian truce (Russia, Iran and Turkey) were holding consultations on sending invitations to new observers of the Astana process. Russian Presidential Envoy for the Syrian Settlement Alexander Lavrentyev said that China, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon could act as observers.

The next round of the negotiations in Astana is scheduled for late October.