interviews with parties "to the talks"?

Question

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/r-how-the-russian-orthodox-church-answers-putins-prayers-in-ukraine-2014-10

But what looked like a solo venture by Kirill was the culmination of a flurry of diplomatic contacts that, behind closed doors, involved the OSCE, Russian and church officials, separatist leaders and a rebel Cossack unit, according to interviews with parties to the talks.

"parties to the talks" means parties that were present during the negotiations?

Answer 1

Short answer: Yes.

"Talks" is a word for negotiations or meetings. The various people or groups present or represented at a meeting are called "parties". So someone might say, "The parties at the talks were the French, the Germans, and the Italians", etc.