Syrian, Israeli Officials Plan To Meet In Baku

According to Saednews, An informed diplomatic source in Damascus told the AFP news agency on Saturday that the Syrian and Israeli officials were expected to meet in Baku on the sidelines of Abu Mohammed al-Jolani's visit to Azerbaijan.

The source, who requested anonymity, added that Jolani, head of the HTS-led administration in Syria, would not personally attend the meeting.

Israel, a major arms supplier to Azerbaijan with a significant presence in the Caucasus nation, has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Syria since militants, led by Jolani's HTS, overthrew President Bashar al-Assad in December.

Israel has also deployed troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone that once separated opposing forces on the strategic Golan Heights, following the collapse of the Assad government.

From this zone, Israeli forces have launched incursions deeper into southern Syria, including areas in Quneitra and Daraa provinces, and have established multiple military bases in violation of the 1974 "disengagement agreement" with Syria.

Jolani has repeatedly called on the international community to exert pressure on Israel to halt its attacks.

He arrived in Baku on Saturday for talks with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.

According to a statement from the Azerbaijani presidency, Baku would begin exporting gas to Syria via Turkey.

Earlier this month, the HTS-led regime expressed its willingness to cooperate with Washington to reinstate the 1974 agreement with Israel, which created the buffer zone. It has recently confirmed indirect contacts with Israel in this regard.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said late last month that Tel Aviv was interested in striking a peace and normalization agreement with Syria.

The two sides are reportedly engaged in negotiations to reach a normalization agreement by 2026.

During a visit to Lebanon this week, US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack confirmed that the “dialogue has started between Syria and Israel.”

Following a meeting with Jolani in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in May, Trump said he hoped Syria would join other Arab countries that have normalized their relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords, brokered by his administration during his first term.

“[Jolani] said yes. But they have a lot of work to do,” Trump said.

Since then, the United States has revoked the foreign terrorist organization designation for the HTS, and Trump signed an executive order to ease unilateral US sanctions against Syria, which have been in place since 1979.