A new tripartite path around Syria: Qatar is back in the forefront

Today, tripartite consultations between the foreign ministers of Russia, Turkey and Qatar took place in Doha on the Syrian issue. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey, Russia and Qatar were making “a joint attempt to call for a political solution to the 10-year Syrian conflict.” Cavusoglu announced the launch of a “new tripartite consultation process”, defining its objective as “discussing how we can contribute to the efforts aimed at a permanent political solution in Syria”, stating that his country “will host the next round of tripartite talks.” “He added that the three ministers affirmed in their meeting that the only solution to the conflict, in which hundreds of thousands and millions have been displaced have died, is a” political settlement in line with United Nations resolutions, “considering that “International contact with the government of (President Bashar) al-Assad has recently hampered efforts to reach a political solution by giving it more legitimacy.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the three countries “do not seek an alternative proposal to the efforts made by Turkey, Russia and Iran since 2017 to limit the fighting in Syria and discuss a political solution.” He added: “I can only welcome Qatar’s desire to help create the conditions to overcome the current tragic situation in Syria.” And he considered, during a joint press conference with his Turkish and Qatari counterparts, that “illegal Western unilateral sanctions prevent the solution of these urgent problems in Syria”, adding that these “sanctions are not directed against the legitimate authorities of the country” . but against all their people. “He announced that the three countries agreed to delegate special representatives to them to coordinate their efforts in this direction, with ministerial meetings that are held periodically, saying:” I believe that our tripartite contacts will be a very useful complement to the efforts made by Russia, Turkey and Iran within the Astana mechanism. ” In response to a question about the timing of the launch of the new consultative mechanism, Lavrov indicated that work on this formula “actually started about a year ago, and three meetings were organized between representatives of the three parties, to exchange views on the ways of to contribute to the Syrian settlement. ”
Qatari Foreign Minister Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, in turn, noted that the three ministers “also discussed the mechanisms for the delivery of humanitarian aid throughout Syria.” He believed that “the reasons for suspending Syria’s membership in the Arab League in 2011 remain valid.” Likewise, he trusted that “these meetings will be held periodically so that coordination is continuous, and we encourage our envoys to work continuously to achieve the objectives of this meeting.”
In a joint statement issued after the talks, the three ministers urged United Nations agencies and the “World Health Organization” to prioritize “Covid-19” vaccines within Syria and strengthen efforts aimed at delivering humanitarian aid. They also affirmed their commitment to preserve the independence and territorial integrity of Syria. The highlights of the final statement were as follows:
The determination to combat terrorism in all its forms and to confront the separatist plans that undermine the territorial integrity of Syria and the national security of neighboring countries.
Support the Syrian Constitutional Committee to continue its work constructively without external interference
– Willingness to contribute to the committee’s work through constant communication with Syrian parties and members of the Constitutional Council.
– Willingness to cooperate with all countries in the process of voluntary and safe return of refugees and displaced persons to their areas.
On the other hand, Lavrov denied the intention to carry out joint patrols of Russia, Turkey and Qatar in Syria, recalling that according to “the agreements of (Russian Vladimir) Putin and (Turkish Recep Tayyip) Erdogan on how to resolve the situation in Idlib governorate, in addition to separate the rational opposition from the terrorists, an agreement to organize a joint Russian-Turkish patrol on the M4 motorway.