While a source in the Russian Foreign Ministry announced yesterday that “a series of consultations are currently taking place in Moscow in preparation for the meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, Syria and Turkey,” it did not clarify the nature of the preliminary consultations that took place, nor the agenda for discussion.
The delegations launched rounds of bilateral negotiations, at the level of deputy foreign ministers in the four countries, aimed at overcoming the obstacles that impeded the path of normalizing relations between Damascus and Ankara. And paved the way for a meeting that brings together the four delegations, today (Tuesday).
It was remarkable that the preliminary meetings that took place behind closed doors showed a divergence in positions between Moscow and Damascus. After the Syrian “SANA” agency reported that “the points of view during the Russian-Syrian meeting were identical regarding affirming Russia’s respect for Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and ending the illegal Turkish presence on Syrian lands,” a Russian diplomatic source denied to Asharq Al-Awsat. points of view in this regard. He stressed that “Russia appreciates the importance of the Turkish role in northern Syria, and the military presence is of particular importance in preserving the calm regime, stopping fighting between Syrians and fighting terrorists.” The source added, “The future of the Turkish military presence on Syrian territory should be the focus of the talks between Turkey and Syria.
Moscow Consultations: There is no correspondence between the Russian and Syrian views on the Turkish presence
