Syrian and Israeli Officials Hold Rare Meeting in Baku Amid Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa Visit

A Syrian official and an Israeli official met face to face on Saturday in Baku during the visit of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to Azerbaijan, according to a diplomatic source in Damascus.

This meeting represents a significant development between the two countries, which have been adversaries for decades. The encounter comes despite Israel’s initial reluctance to engage with Sharaa’s administration, which it had labeled jihadist due to the president’s past associations with Al-Qaeda.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the issue, confirmed, “A meeting took place between a Syrian official and an Israeli official on the sidelines of Sharaa’s visit to Baku.”

Israel, a major arms supplier to Azerbaijan, has increased its military actions in Syria following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. These include airstrikes and troop movements into the Golan Heights to prevent military assets from falling into the hands of the interim government headed by Sharaa.

Although Sharaa did not attend a recent meeting focused on Israeli military activity, he has called for international pressure on Israel to stop its attacks and confirmed indirect talks with Israel on restoring the 1974 buffer zone agreement. Israel has expressed interest in a peace deal, though Syria called such discussions “premature.”

US officials have confirmed that dialogue between the two countries has begun. Meanwhile, during a visit to Baku, Sharaa met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Azerbaijan announced plans to export gas to Syria via Turkey.

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