No final deal for Syria safe zones as Astana talks end
Russia, Iran and Turkey failed to reach an agreement on safe zones in Syria as their fifth round of peace talks ended in Kazakhstan yesterday.
Documents outlining the introduction of safe zones in Syria need to be finalised, although the three countries had essentially agreed on them, said Russia’s chief negotiator, Alexander Lavrentiev.
The closed- door meetings in the Kazakh capital Astana – attended by representatives of the Syrian government and armed rebels, as well as the three mediators, Russia, Iran and Turkey – were aimed at creating four de- escalation zones in Syria.
Russia and Iran, which support Syrian president Bashar Al Assad, and Turkey, which backs the rebels, agreed in May to establish the zones in what would have been a breakthrough after six years of civil war.
“We have not yet managed directly to establish the de-escalation zones,” Mr Lavrentiev said after the meeting. But he insisted that “de facto” safe areas already existed.
Syria blamed Turkey, with the Syrian government’s lead negotiator Bashar Al Ja'afari saying Ankara blocked the adoption of documents aimed at implementing the safe zones plan.
A working group has been formed to finalise details on the zones and will meet in Tehran at the start of next month to help solve disagreements, the three countries said after the two-day negotiations.
There were also discussions on prisoner exchanges and mine clearing at historical sites.
Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov had earlier yesterday expressed hope of progress after his meeting with the Secretary General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
“We hope that a real progress will be reached in terms of designating certain parameters, including geographic ones and those linked to ensuring the operation of de-escalation zones,” Mr Lavrov said.
While fighting dropped off in the weeks after the deal, it has increased in some areas since, and the international players have been unable to finalise the boundaries of the zones or determine who will police them.
Mr Lavrentiev said on Tuesday that the borders of two zones – in rebel-held parts of the central Homs province and around Eastern Ghouta, close to Damascus – were essentially settled.
He said there was no agreement yet on whether the safe zone should include Idlib province on the Turkish border and there were still reservations about another zone in southern Syria.
If a deal was signed, Russia could send military police to patrol the buffer zones between the regime and rebels, and foreign peacekeeping forces could be sent there in weeks, he had said.
As the talks in Astana were under way yesterday, USbacked fighters moved closer towards Raqqa’s Old City despite fierce resistance.
The Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters, penetrated the centre of ISIL’s Syrian bastion and entered the old quarter after air raids by the US-led coalition on Monday breached the 2,500-metre wall around the Old City.
ISIL sent in suicide car bombers and four armed drones against the advancing fighters, said a spokesman for the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, which makes up a bulk of the SDF.
“The SDF advanced and captured the strategic Saif Al Dawlah road leading towards the Old Mosque,” Nuri Al Mahmoud said.
The troops were about 300 metres from the mosque.