Technical talks on Syria in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana could follow up on the new round of intra-Syrian negotiations in Geneva, Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi said Tuesday.

The fourth round of UN-backed intra-Syrian talks between the government and opposition factions began on Thursday. The discussions are expected to center around governance, constitutional issues and elections in Syria.

“The Syrian talks in Geneva are still underway. Depending on the progress, we will consider whether technical meetings on the level of experts would be advisable,” Tileuberdi told reporters in Geneva.

The previous Geneva talks were held on April 13-27, when the HNC walked out of the negotiations, citing the continuous fighting in Syria and the lack of progress on humanitarian issues.

Since 2011, Syria has been engulfed in a civil war, with government forces fighting against numerous opposition and terrorist groups, including the Islamic State (IS), which is banned in a range of countries, including Russia.