Syria expects security negotiations with Israel to resume soon despite a lack of trust between the two sides, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said in a Reuters interview. The talks, which have been frozen since the start of the Iran war, aim to establish a security agreement that could eventually lead to Israel withdrawing from Syrian territory.
Shaibani said Syria remains open to diplomacy but believes Israeli attacks must stop first. He said Damascus does not currently trust Israel and wants confidence-building measures to prevent further airstrikes, raids and arrests in southern Syria.
The proposed security agreement would establish several security zones inside Syrian territory near the Israeli border, including a buffer zone where only United Nations personnel would be present. Shaibani said the two sides had agreed on paper to almost everything earlier this year but Syria did not see a genuine Israeli willingness to implement the agreement.
The United States is continuing to pressure Israel to return to negotiations and is also working on a mechanism to reduce the risk of conflict between Israel, Syria and Turkey. Tensions recently increased after Israel struck the Abu al-Duhur airbase, while Syria and Turkey denied Israel’s claim that Turkish forces were preparing to deploy there.
Shaibani said Syria wants to stop what it describes as Israeli aggression before discussing broader issues such as peace and the Golan Heights. Despite the current tensions, he said Damascus remains committed to diplomacy and hopes to build stable relations with its neighbours.
