2024-01-18 18:29:27
A new round of negotiations on Syria within the framework of the “Astana Group”
Identical Syrian and Russian sources reported that the parties involved in the “Astana track” on Syria will hold a new round of negotiations next week in the Kazakh capital.
It seemed that Moscow was not enthusiastic regarding holding the round at this time, but the initiative came from the UN envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, who conducted preliminary rounds of dialogue with the parties before announcing the date.
On Thursday, the Syrian newspaper Al-Watan quoted diplomatic sources as saying, “Preparations have been completed to launch the twenty-first round of the track, which is scheduled to be held on the 23rd and 24th of this month.” She added that the Syrian government delegation will be headed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Bassam Sabbagh.
According to the newspaper, the latest Syrian developments were discussed during the talks that brought together Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and the UN Special Envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, on the sidelines of the Economic Forum in Davos.
Pedersen touched on the political, security and economic situation in Syria, pointing out his initiatives and proposals to help solve the problems there.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meets with the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, in Moscow, June 8 (AFP)
The previous round was held last June, during which the focus was on “rebuilding confidence” files, which include issues of prisoners, improving conditions to facilitate the voluntary return of refugees, and the situation in areas not under the control of the regime, including in terms of opening international roads. According to previous agreements.
But the main focus was on the normalization path launched by Moscow between Turkey and the Syrian government. During the round, the two parties did not succeed in achieving breakthroughs in this regard, especially due to the hard-line positions announced by the government delegation regarding the necessity of prior Turkish withdrawal from Syrian territory.
The three parties guaranteeing the ceasefire (Russia, Turkey, and Iran) stressed in a joint final statement the necessity of supporting the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of refugees to Syria.
She called on the international community to provide the necessary assistance to Syrian refugees and displaced persons. The countries also affirmed their intention to “continue the mutual release of detainees or kidnapped persons within the framework of the working group concerned with the release of detainees and hostages, the transfer of dead bodies, and the search for missing persons, which is a unique mechanism that has confirmed its importance and effectiveness in building confidence between the Syrian parties.”
Path death
The most important and striking element in that round was Kazakhstan’s announcement of its withdrawal from the “Astana track” following hosting twenty rounds of negotiations since this formula was launched in early 2017.
The announcement at the time raised speculation regarding the “death of the track,” but the three parties (Russia, Turkey, and Iran) announced their commitment to continuing the talks according to this formula, without specifying a future date or location to host the negotiating rounds.
It appeared that active contacts conducted by Moscow with the Kazakh capital following the end of the round resulted in the Kazakh side retracting the announcement. This explains why the current awaited round will be held in Astana.
Foreign Ministers of Russia Sergei Lavrov and Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu (left) and Mohammad Javad Zarif (right) Iran attend the international meeting on Syria in Astana March 16, 2018 (Archyde.com)
Although Moscow did not officially announce the arrangements for holding the new round of negotiations, a Russian diplomat whom Asharq Al-Awsat spoke to explained that Moscow “can only welcome any effort aimed at continuing to bring viewpoints closer, reduce tension, and revitalize communications between the parties.” Concerned with the settlement in Syria.
The diplomat acknowledged that Moscow would have “preferred not to rush to set a date for the new round of negotiations, especially once morest the backdrop of escalating tension in the region and the world’s preoccupation with the situation around Gaza, developments in the Red Sea, and fears of the expansion of the ongoing conflict.”
He added that Moscow “also hoped that the new round would be preceded by a good level of preparation.” “With the aim of producing specific results to achieve progress in the files at hand.”
Despite this, the diplomat stressed that his country “cannot oppose the effort made by the international envoy to Syria,” which resulted in determining the location and date of the round and sending invitations to the parties that will attend the meetings.
At the same time, the Russian government agency “Novosti” quoted the Syrian opposition delegation, headed by Ahmed Touma, as saying that the delegation had received an invitation to attend the new round, and that it intended to participate in its work.
According to Touma’s interview with the Russian Agency, he “confirmed his participation in the 21st round of negotiations on Syria in the Astana format, which will be held on the 23rd and 24th of this month.”
Pedersen during the meetings of the Syrian Constitutional Committee in Geneva last June (United Nations)
Tohme said: “We have been invited and we will participate (…) and the objectives of the (opposition) delegation in the 21st round of negotiations will focus on resuming the work of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, resolving the issue of releasing detainees, as well as expanding supplies and areas for humanitarian aid to enter in sufficient quantities through… Several border barriers.
Tohme explained, “Among the main files that we will raise is the issue of stabilizing the ceasefire and stopping its violations, resuming the political settlement process through the Constitutional Committee, and advancing humanitarian files, especially the issue of detainees and the entry of aid. “This should contribute to creating a safe and neutral environment for a political settlement in Syria.”
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