​​​​​​​Russia prepares meeting for Astana parties.. is rapprochement to accelerate?

 Russian talk increased about the imminent occurrence of a four-way meeting that brings together foreign ministers (Syria, Turkey, Iran, Russia), and that Moscow is working hard for this meeting to take place.

 Through this meeting, Russia seeks to transform the previous security track into a political track, in order to work on it and turn it into a political card in which it confronts its Western opponents, especially since it has a more difficult battle than that of Syria, in Ukraine.

 In this context, Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, announced yesterday that work is underway on a discreet and quiet arrangement for a meeting that includes foreign ministers (Russia, Syria, Turkey and Iran).

 Bogdanov said: "We are working on it. I can tell you that we agreed not to disclose the details until the time comes. Not everything is so simple. We must work discreetly, according to the principles of quiet diplomacy."

 Bogdanov's talk came after a previous statement he made last week that the possibility of organizing a four-way meeting of the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, the Turkish occupation and the Damascus government is currently being studied.

 The day after Bogdanov's statements, an official spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that a settlement should take place soon.  On Saturday, March 4, the Russian and Turkish foreign ministers made a phone call to discuss the issue of the (Syrian-Turkish settlement), and there is information that technical delegations from the three countries met in Moscow during the past few days to prepare for the meeting.

The talk of rapprochement between the Damascus government and the Turkish occupation state increased before the Tehran summit on July 19, 2022, when Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir Abdollahian said during his visit to Damascus in early July: "We are trying to resolve the misunderstanding between Syria and Turkey through diplomatic means and dialogue."

 After the Tehran summit held in July, 4 sources told Reuters on September 15, 2022, that "the head of Turkish intelligence held several meetings with the head of the Syrian National Security Office in Damascus during the past few weeks, in an indication of the progress of Russian efforts to melt the ice between the two countries that stand on opposite sides.

 A regional source supporting the Damascus government told Reuters that the head of the Turkish National Intelligence Service, Hakan Fidan, and the head of the National Security Bureau, Ali Mamlouk, met at the time in the Syrian capital.

 After the Tehran summit, Erdogan said on November 23, Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced his readiness to meet his Syrian counterpart, Bashar al-Assad, considering that "there are no eternal differences in politics.

 On December 28, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced, on Wednesday, that the defense ministers (Russia, Syria and Turkey) held tripartite talks in Moscow to discuss ways to "solve" the Syrian crisis.

 What was striking in the meeting was the absence of Iran, which is part of Astana and a major supporter of the Damascus government, which angered Tehran, as Tehran declared its dissatisfaction with being marginalized from the recent meeting between the Syrian and Turkish defense ministers and intelligence chiefs in Moscow, with Russian mediation.

Iran's anger was evident in the comments of Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani, who said during a press conference: "Iran has always insisted on a political solution, not a military solution, and it insists on this position with regard to Syria."

 He said, "Syria, Russia and Turkey have realized the decisive role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in fighting terrorism in Syria, supporting the government and people of the country, and supporting the territorial integrity of this country and the process of resolving the Syrian crisis."

 Likewise, the statements of the Damascus government that followed the Moscow security meeting were a reflection of Iranian dissatisfaction, as the Damascus government stipulated the departure of the Turkish occupier from Syria and Ankara stopping its support for mercenaries, which was interpreted by observers as an Iranian message via Damascus, as an Iranian reaction to its absence from the Moscow meeting.

 After Damascus' statements, Moscow and Ankara moved to remedy the situation, as Lavrov stated that it was agreed to involve Iran in the settlement process between (Turkey and Syria).

 Lavrov announced in a statement on January 31, 2023 that "today an agreement was reached aimed at Iran's participation in this process," considering that "it is logical that the upcoming contacts dedicated to normalizing Turkish-Syrian relations will be mediated by Russia and Iran."

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ANHA