Russia Presents Roadmap to Mediate Between Damascus, Kurdish Administration

 Russian military police take part in a joint Turkish-Russian army patrol near the town of Darbasiyah in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province, along the Syria-Turkey border, November 11, 2019. (Delil Souleiman/AFP)
Russian military police take part in a joint Turkish-Russian army patrol near the town of Darbasiyah in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province, along the Syria-Turkey border, November 11, 2019. (Delil Souleiman/AFP)
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Russia Presents Roadmap to Mediate Between Damascus, Kurdish Administration

 Russian military police take part in a joint Turkish-Russian army patrol near the town of Darbasiyah in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province, along the Syria-Turkey border, November 11, 2019. (Delil Souleiman/AFP)
Russian military police take part in a joint Turkish-Russian army patrol near the town of Darbasiyah in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province, along the Syria-Turkey border, November 11, 2019. (Delil Souleiman/AFP)

A Russian military delegation held extensive meetings with Kurdish leaderships and leading figures in Qamishli, east Syria, at the end of 2019 to discuss the fate of ongoing negotiations between the Kurdish self-administration and Damascus.

Sources revealed that the delegation carried a 10-point roadmap stipulating that Kurds join the works of the Syrian constitutional committee and to represent the Kurdish political movement in the Syrian government.

Other points focused on the deployment of Syrian guards along the Syrian northern border from the Semalka crossing to the city of Manbij in the countryside of eastern Aleppo.

The Russian delegation also suggested the launch of a dialogue between the Kurdish self-administration in the north and east and the Syrian government.

In addition, the roadmap lists the need to form joint economic and military committees and to issue official papers for Kurds and official certificates for Kurdish students.

Also, the delegation enlisted that the two sides should coordinate to benefit from energy resources, particularly the Euphrates dam in the town of Tabqah, located in the Raqqa province, adding that the Syrian Army must withdraw from schools and universities in Kurdish areas.

The roadmap also suggests opening the road that links the city of Aleppo to the Iraqi border, through the town of Bukamal and to “remove the Kurdish threats and dangers and work on the safety of the Syrian Army checkpoints spread east the Euphrates.”

The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Russian delegation travelled first to Damascus and held talks with the government on Dec. 25 and 26 before heading to Qamishli on the night of Dec. 26 to meet leading officials from the Syrian Democratic Union Party (PYD).

The sources predicted that the Russian delegation returns to Damascus in the next coming days to present new proposals after listening to the views of all concerned parties.



Trump's Syria Policy Dominates Opening of 'Astana 22' Talks

The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Trump's Syria Policy Dominates Opening of 'Astana 22' Talks

The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
The foreign ministers of Türkiye, Russia and Iran meet in New York in September. (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

The 22nd round of the Astana peace talks on Syria kicked off in Kazakhstan’s capital on Monday. The talks, held over two days, brought together Syria’s government, opposition and guarantor states Russia, Iran and Türkiye, with observers from Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and the UN.

The talks, initiated by Russia and supported by Türkiye and Iran, will focus on key issues such as the potential shifts in US policy toward Syria under President-elect Donald Trump, according to Russian presidential envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev.

The talks will also address regional tensions, including the spread of the Gaza conflict into Lebanon, ongoing Israeli airstrikes on Syria and concerns over the risk of the regional conflict expanding further.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov stressed the importance of meeting before the end of the year to set priorities for Syria and the region.

This comes after the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed a “secret” Russian-Syrian agreement to limit the movement of Hezbollah, Iranian forces and Iranian-backed militias in Syria.

As well as the Syrian conflict, the talks will cover issues such as prisoner releases, missing persons, humanitarian conditions, international support for peace efforts, Syria’s reconstruction and the return of refugees.

The current round of talks will focus on the political and military situation around Syria.

Lavrentiev said Russia will do everything possible to prevent the Gaza conflict from spreading to Syria.

Potential changes in US policy toward Syria under Trump are a major topic for discussion among the ceasefire guarantors, he added. Russia will focus on concrete actions and proposals, rather than just statements, especially as expectations grow that Trump will follow through on his pledge to withdraw US troops from Syria.

This move could shift the balance of power and affect the actions of various parties. The withdrawal is a key demand for Russia, Iran and Türkiye, the three guarantor states of the Astana process.