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Under Secrecy... Unprecedented Meeting Between Syrian and Israeli Officials in Baku
Israeli Channel "Kan" revealed on Saturday details of secret meetings held between Israeli and Syrian officials in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku. The discussions focused on security arrangements in southern Syria, amid expectations of a possible formal meeting between the foreign ministers of both countries in the near future.
According to the report, the two sides discussed the Syrian government's demand for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern areas, along with other coordination issues. The meeting was described as part of efforts to de-escalate tension and prevent escalation in the region. It is also noted that Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid is expected to meet with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad next Monday in Brussels on the sidelines of EU meetings, although a final schedule has not yet been confirmed.
Similarly, the Syrian newspaper "Al-Watan" denied that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad participated in any of these meetings, emphasizing that the political efforts taking place in Azerbaijan are part of a "calming strategy" that does not aim to normalize relations or sign a peace agreement with Israel.
The paper clarified that the official goal behind these meetings is to press Israel to respect the ceasefire agreement signed in 1974. It added that Azerbaijan has become a "flexible" diplomatic platform thanks to its balanced relations with both Israel and Turkey, making it a suitable location for indirect negotiations.
For its part, the French Press Agency quoted a diplomatic source in Damascus stating that a direct meeting was held between a Syrian and an Israeli official in Baku. However, the source confirmed that President Assad was not involved in the discussions. The dialogue reportedly focused on "the new Israeli military presence in southern Syria," referring to military sites Israel established after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime late last year.
Although Damascus has not officially announced any direct negotiations, Syrian authorities had previously indicated the existence of indirect talks with Israel aimed at reactivating the 1974 ceasefire agreement and reinforcing the role of UN forces in the buffer zone between the two sides.
In a related context, US Special Envoy to Syria, Thomas Barrack, stated during his visit to Beirut on July 7 that "dialogue between Syria and Israel has begun." President Assad has also expressed multiple times Syria’s desire to avoid escalation and engage in a political dialogue under international sponsorship.
It is noteworthy that the war between Syria and Israel has continued since 1948, despite mediation efforts and undisclosed meetings over the past decades. However, concerns and expectations remain of potential future unrest amid current developments.
