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Syrian foreign minister meets Israeli delegation in Paris for de-escalation talks

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani speaks to press at Damascus International Airport upon his return from an official visit to Qatar in Damascus, Syria on June 03, 2025. (AA Photo))
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Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani speaks to press at Damascus International Airport upon his return from an official visit to Qatar in Damascus, Syria on June 03, 2025. (AA Photo))
August 20, 2025 01:51 AM GMT+03:00

Syria's Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani met with an Israeli delegation in Paris on Tuesday to discuss measures aimed at reducing tensions and maintaining stability in southern Syria, according to the country's state news agency SANA.

The talks centered on de-escalation efforts, non-interference in Syria's internal affairs, regional stability support, ceasefire monitoring in Suwayda province, and reactivating the 1974 disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria, the agency reported.

The discussions were conducted under U.S. mediation as part of broader diplomatic initiatives to strengthen security in Syria while preserving the country's unity and territorial integrity, SANA said.

Previous trilateral meeting establishes joint working group

The Paris meeting follows previous diplomatic engagement on Aug. 12, when al-Shaibani met in Amman, Jordan, with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack. That trilateral meeting resulted in an agreement to establish a joint Syrian-Jordanian-U.S. working group designed to support Syrian government efforts in reinforcing the Suwayda ceasefire and pursuing a comprehensive resolution to the ongoing crisis.

Background on regional agreements and ongoing tensions

The 1974 disengagement agreement established a buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights following the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. The accord has remained largely in place despite decades of regional upheaval, though implementation has faced periodic challenges.

Suwayda province, located in southern Syria near the Jordanian border, has experienced intermittent violence amid Syria's broader conflict that began in 2011. The province is home to a significant Druze population and has seen varying degrees of government control throughout the conflict.

The diplomatic outreach represents a rare instance of direct Syrian-Israeli engagement facilitated by U.S. mediation, occurring amid ongoing efforts to stabilize Syria's southern regions.

August 20, 2025 01:51 AM GMT+03:00
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