Latest news with #Baku
Al Mayadeen
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Syrian, Israeli officials to meet in Baku: Damascus source
A Syrian official and an Israeli representative are expected to meet in Baku on Saturday evening during President Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to Azerbaijan, with the talks taking place on the sidelines of his trip, AFP reported, citing a diplomatic source in Damascus familiar with the matter. "There will be a meeting between a Syrian official and an Israeli official on the sidelines of the visit being conducted by Sharaa in Baku," the source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said. The source emphasized that al-Sharaa would not participate in the meeting, clarifying that the discussions would center on the recent Israeli military presence in Syria following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in December. Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa is visiting Azerbaijan on Saturday to hold talks with Baku's President Ilham Aliyev. This comes amid the recent unrest the country has seen, particularly in light of Israeli violations and bombardments of Syria. "Israel" had been striking Syria since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023, but the raids intensified in December 2024, when long-term President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by the current regime, led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. Alongside airstrikes, Israeli occupation forces have occupied Mount Hermon and built at least 10 military outposts in southern Syria. This is accompanied by frequent incursions into the Quneitra countryside and other regions. Syrian Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has repeatedly stated that Syria does not seek conflict with its neighbors while emphasizing that the country has instead urged the international community to apply pressure on "Israel" to stop its attacks. The Syrian government recently acknowledged engaging in indirect communications with "Israel" to restore adherence to the 1974 disengagement agreement that originally established the buffer zone. In late last month, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar expressed "Israel's" interest in reaching a "peace" and normalization agreement with Syria; however, he emphasized that any normalization talks with Syria would not include returning the occupied Golan Heights to Syria, despite being occupied by "Israel" more than 40 years ago. A Syrian government source cited by state media dismissed the proposal as "premature"; however, during his visit to Lebanon this week, US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack revealed that "the dialogue has started between Syria and Israel." Following his meeting with al-Sharaa in Riyadh in May, US President Donald Trump informed reporters that he had shared his desire for Syria to follow in the footsteps of other Arab states in normalizing relations with "Israel", to which al-Sharaa reportedly responded affirmatively. "[Al-Sharaa] said yes, but the have a lot to do," Trump stated. In a related context, Azerbaijan announced on Saturday that it would supply gas to Syria to help alleviate the country's energy crisis, as President Ilham Aliyev welcomed Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, in Baku. "The importance of cooperation between our countries, particularly in the energy sector, was highlighted at the meeting, and it was reported that Syria is currently facing a serious energy problem," the Azerbaijani presidency said in a statement. The statement further noted that plans were underway to soon begin shipping Azerbaijani gas to Syria through Turkish pipelines, a move that would help strengthen Syria's energy stability. After overthrowing Bashar al-Assad in December, Syria's new government is now focused on reconstructing the nation's infrastructure and economy following nearly 14 years of a devastating war imposed on the country, which severely crippled the power grid and caused daily electricity shortages lasting over 20 hours.
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Syrian, Israeli officials to meet in Baku
Foreign minister Gideon Saar has said that Israel was interested in striking a peace and normalisation agreement with Syria. (EPA Images pic) DAMASCUS : A Syrian and an Israeli official are expected to meet in Baku later Saturday on the sidelines of president Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to Azerbaijan, a diplomatic source in Damascus with knowledge of the issue said. 'There will be a meeting between a Syrian official and an Israeli official on the sidelines of the visit being conducted by Sharaa in Baku,' said the source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. Israel is a major arms supplier to Azerbaijan and has a significant diplomatic presence in the Caucasus nation which neighbours its arch foe Iran. The diplomatic source stressed that Sharaa himself would not attend the Baku meeting, which would focus on 'the recent Israeli military presence in Syria'. After the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria to prevent key military assets falling into the hands of the Islamist-led interim administration headed by Sharaa. It also sent troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone that used to separate the opposing forces on the strategic Golan Heights, from which it has conducted forays deeper into southern Syria. Sharaa has said repeatedly that Syria does not seek conflict with its neighbours, and has instead asked the international community to put pressure on Israel to halt its attacks. His government recently confirmed that it had held indirect contacts with Israel seeking a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement which created the buffer zone. Israel has repeatedly characterised Sharaa's government as jihadist, in reference to his past links with Al-Qaeda. But late last month, foreign minister Gideon Saar said Israel was interested in striking a peace and normalisation agreement with Syria. A Syria government source quoted by state media responded that such talk was 'premature'. But during a visit to Lebanon this week, US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said: 'The dialogue has started between Syria and Israel'. After meeting Sharaa in Riyadh in May, US President Donald Trump told reporters he had expressed hope that Syria would join other Arab states which normalised their relations with Israel. '(Sharaa) said yes. But they have a lot of work to do,' Trump said. The Syrian president arrived in Baku earlier Saturday for talks with his counterpart Ilham Aliyev. Azerbaijan announced it would begin exporting gas to Syria via Turkey, according to a statement from the Azerbaijani presidency.
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Diplomatic breakthrough: Syrian, Israeli officials meet in Baku
A Syrian and an Israeli official met face to face in Baku on Saturday on the sidelines of a visit to Azerbaijan by President Ahmed Al Sharaa, a diplomatic source in Damascus said. The meeting marked a major step for the two countries which have been foes for decades, and comes after Israel initially cold-shouldered Sharaa's administration as militant because of his past links to Al-Qaeda. "A meeting took place between a Syrian official and an Israeli official on the sidelines of Sharaa's visit to Baku," the source said, requesting anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. Israel is a major arms supplier to Azerbaijan and has a significant diplomatic presence in the Caucasus nation which neighbours its arch foe Iran. Sharaa himself did not take part in the meeting, which focused on "the recent Israeli military presence in Syria", the source added. After the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar Al Assad in December, Israel carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria to prevent key military assets falling into the hands of the Islamist-led interim administration headed by Sharaa. It also sent troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone that used to separate the opposing forces in the strategic Golan Heights, from which it has conducted forays deeper into southern Syria. Sharaa has said repeatedly that Syria does not seek conflict with its neighbours, and has instead asked the international community to put pressure on Israel to halt its attacks. His government recently confirmed that it had held indirect contacts with Israel seeking a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement which created the buffer zone. Late last month, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel was interested in striking a peace and normalisation agreement with Syria. A Syria government source quoted by state media responded that such talk was "premature". But during a visit to Lebanon this week, US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said: "The dialogue has started between Syria and Israel". After meeting Sharaa in Riyadh in May, US President Donald Trump told reporters he had expressed hope that Syria would join other Arab states which normalised their relations with Israel. "(Sharaa) said yes. But they have a lot of work to do," Trump said. During his visit to Baku, Sharaa held talks with his counterpart Ilham Aliyev, the two governments said. Azerbaijan announced it would begin exporting gas to Syria via Turkey, a key ally of both governments, a statement from the Azerbaijani presidency said.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
How Azerbaijan defies Russia and Iran in Eurasia's new order
Once bound by history to Iran and Russia Azerbaijan has been actively reconfiguring relationships with its neighbours in a bid to stake a claim as a major player in Eurasia – even at the cost of ratcheting up diplomatic friction with its former colonial rulers. Advertisement Emboldened by the decisive seizure of Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia in 2023, Baku has drawn on a web of diverse strategic partnerships to assert its autonomy. No longer content to be a subordinate neighbour, Azerbaijan is pushing back against Moscow and Tehran, drawing strength from a disparate coalition that includes Israel Turkey , nuclear-armed Pakistan and strategic partner China , as well as a host of former Soviet republics with majority ethnic Turkic populations. The shifting allegiances have prompted comparisons with the 19th-century 'Great Game' between the British and Russian empires, but analysts see today's contest as even more intricate. The current geopolitical contest in the southern Caucasus 'involves a more complex and multipolar configuration, with multiple stakeholders', said Rusif Huseynov, director of the Baku-based Topchubashov Centre think tank. Alongside Russia and China, the United States, European Union, India and Pakistan all now jostle for influence.
Al Arabiya
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Syrian, Israeli officials to meet in Baku: Diplomatic source in Damascus
A Syrian and an Israeli official are expected to meet in Baku later Saturday on the sidelines of President Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to Azerbaijan, a diplomatic source in Damascus with knowledge of the issue said. 'There will be a meeting between a Syrian official and an Israeli official on the sidelines of the visit being conducted by [al-Sharaa] in Baku,' said the source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. Israel is a major arms supplier to Azerbaijan and has a significant diplomatic presence in the Caucasus nation which neighbors its arch foe Iran. The diplomatic source stressed that al-Sharaa himself would not attend the Baku meeting, which would focus on 'the recent Israeli military presence in Syria.' After the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria. It also sent troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone that used to separate the opposing forces on the strategic Golan Heights, from which it has conducted forays deeper into southern Syria. Al-Sharaa has said repeatedly that Syria does not seek conflict with its neighbors, and has instead asked the international community to put pressure on Israel to halt its attacks. His government recently confirmed that it had held indirect contacts with Israel seeking a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement which created the buffer zone. Israel has repeatedly characterized al-Sharaa's government as extremist, in reference to his past links with al-Qaeda. But late last month, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel was interested in striking a peace and normalization agreement with Syria. A Syria government source quoted by state media responded that such talk was 'premature.' But during a visit to Lebanon this week, US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said: 'The dialogue has started between Syria and Israel.' After meeting al-Sharaa in Riyadh in May, US President Donald Trump told reporters he had expressed hope that Syria would join other Arab states which normalized their relations with Israel. '[al-Sharaa] said yes. But they have a lot of work to do,' Trump said. The Syrian president arrived in Baku earlier Saturday for talks with his counterpart Ilham Aliyev.
