Syrian, Israeli officials to meet in Baku: Damascus source
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Syrian and Israeli officials are set to meet in Azerbaijan to discuss the Israeli occupation of southern Syria, as Baku announces it will send gas to Syria to alleviate its energy crisis.
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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, right, and Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, pose for a photo prior to their talks in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Saturday, July 12, 2025 (AP)
A Syrian official and an Israeli representative are expected to meet in Baku on Saturday evening during President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to Azerbaijan, with the talks taking place on the sidelines of his trip, AFP reported, citing a diplomatic source in Damascus familiar with the matter.
"There will be a meeting between a Syrian official and an Israeli official on the sidelines of the visit being conducted by Sharaa in Baku," the source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said.
The source emphasized that al-Sharaa would not participate in the meeting, clarifying that the discussions would center on the recent Israeli military presence in Syria following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad in December.
Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa is visiting Azerbaijan on Saturday to hold talks with Baku's President Ilham Aliyev.
This comes amid the recent unrest the country has seen, particularly in light of Israeli violations and bombardments of Syria.
"Israel" had been striking Syria since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023, but the raids intensified in December 2024, when long-term President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by the current regime, led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham.
Alongside airstrikes, Israeli occupation forces have occupied Mount Hermon and built at least 10 military outposts in southern Syria. This is accompanied by frequent incursions into the Quneitra countryside and other regions.
'Israel' and Syria: normalization's newest chapter
Syrian Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has repeatedly stated that Syria does not seek conflict with its neighbors while emphasizing that the country has instead urged the international community to apply pressure on "Israel" to stop its attacks.
The Syrian government recently acknowledged engaging in indirect communications with "Israel" to restore adherence to the 1974 disengagement agreement that originally established the buffer zone.
In late last month, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar expressed "Israel's" interest in reaching a "peace" and normalization agreement with Syria; however, he emphasized that any normalization talks with Syria would not include returning the occupied Golan Heights to Syria, despite being occupied by "Israel" more than 40 years ago.
A Syrian government source cited by state media dismissed the proposal as "premature"; however, during his visit to Lebanon this week, US special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack revealed that "the dialogue has started between Syria and Israel."
Following his meeting with al-Sharaa in Riyadh in May, US President Donald Trump informed reporters that he had shared his desire for Syria to follow in the footsteps of other Arab states in normalizing relations with "Israel", to which al-Sharaa reportedly responded affirmatively.
"[Al-Sharaa] said yes, but the have a lot to do," Trump stated.
Normalization talks in exchange for gas?
In a related context, Azerbaijan announced on Saturday that it would supply gas to Syria to help alleviate the country's energy crisis, as President Ilham Aliyev welcomed Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, in Baku.
"The importance of cooperation between our countries, particularly in the energy sector, was highlighted at the meeting, and it was reported that Syria is currently facing a serious energy problem," the Azerbaijani presidency said in a statement.
The statement further noted that plans were underway to soon begin shipping Azerbaijani gas to Syria through Turkish pipelines, a move that would help strengthen Syria's energy stability.
After overthrowing Bashar al-Assad in December, Syria's new government is now focused on reconstructing the nation's infrastructure and economy following nearly 14 years of a devastating war imposed on the country, which severely crippled the power grid and caused daily electricity shortages lasting over 20 hours.
