A high-level ministerial meeting between Syria and Israel is scheduled to take place on Thursday in Baku, Azerbaijan, to address rising security concerns in southern Syria, a diplomat told AFP, and according to The Times of Israel.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer are expected to attend the talks, which follow a similar meeting held in Paris last week. The Baku meeting will also come after Shaibani’s unprecedented visit to Moscow on the same day.
According to the diplomat, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, the meeting will focus on “the security situation, particularly in southern Syria,” an area that has seen escalating violence in recent months.
Tensions have surged in Syria’s southern Sweida province, a region with a significant Druze population. Deadly clashes broke out earlier this month between local Druze groups and Bedouin tribes, eventually drawing in Syrian government forces and prompting Israeli military involvement. Israel later stated that its intervention was aimed at protecting the Druze population. The fighting reportedly resulted in hundreds of casualties.
In the wake of the violence, Israel carried out targeted strikes on the Syrian presidential palace and army headquarters in Damascus. A ceasefire between the two sides was announced overnight on 18 July by the United States, a key ally of Israel that has also expressed support for Syria’s current authorities.
Russia, which was a principal backer of former President Bashar al-Assad before his ousting in December, has recently hosted Syrian officials, with Shaibani’s trip to Moscow on Thursday seen as a further shift in the country’s foreign engagements.
Israel and Syria have technically remained at war since 1948, and while direct diplomatic relations do not exist, discreet contacts have taken place in recent years. According to diplomatic sources, Shaibani and Dermer previously met in Baku on 12 July, before the latest wave of violence erupted.
Thursday’s meeting in Azerbaijan is part of a series of quiet but significant diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing regional tensions and seeking common ground on security matters amid shifting geopolitical alignments in the Middle East.
These talks highlight Azerbaijan's growing strategic location for hosting and facilitating discussions on conflicts in the Middle East.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed to a near standstill over the weekend, with five commodity vessels transiting Saturday and none on Sun...
Central Asia has become a major focus for Eurasian transport investment, with $71.7 billion committed to 114 projects, according to the Eurasian De...
The European Union is preparing what foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has described as its most far-reaching sanctions package against Russia since...
At least 11 people were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, among the deadliest since a June ceasefire. Meanwhile, Qatar denied holding Iranian pilots. It said it had found the remains of one pilot after an airspace violation and had contacted Iran to coordinate a handover.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed to a near standstill over the weekend, with five commodity vessels transiting Saturday and none on Sunday. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Washington must meet Tehran's conditions for shipping to resume.
A wildfire in Croatia driven by strong winds descended on the tourist town of Omis overnight, engulfing houses, forcing about 1,000 people to evacuate to safety and injuring dozens, fire brigade and health officials said on Friday.
U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to make the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory have been mocked by Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, who said the sea passage "cannot be seized by tweet."
Residents of villages in eastern Indonesia hit by a deadly earthquake that killed at least 54 people were awaiting aid on Monday as rescuers prepared to comb through collapsed buildings in search of people trapped beneath the rubble.
Central Asia has become a major focus for Eurasian transport investment, with $71.7 billion committed to 114 projects, according to the Eurasian Development Bank’s 2026 Transport Observatory.
The European Union is preparing what foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has described as its most far-reaching sanctions package against Russia since the war in Ukraine began.
Weeks after thousands of students protested in New Delhi over alleged failures in India’s examination system, the so-called Cockroach movement is taking its campaign to the grassroots, launching audits of state-run schools.
UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany visited Ukraine for the first time since taking office, meeting Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in Kyiv on 15 August to discuss protecting the country’s cultural heritage amid continued Russian attacks.
Residents of villages in eastern Indonesia hit by a deadly earthquake that killed at least 54 people were awaiting aid on Monday as rescuers prepared to comb through collapsed buildings in search of people trapped beneath the rubble.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment