Arab expert: Agreements reached during 6th round of Astana process are unique
It should be reminded that following the results of the talks in Astana, it was decided to include the province of Idlib in the list of de-escalation zones in Syria.
"The mere fact that such agreements have been reached is unique. The guarantor countries managed to come to a common opinion. It should also be noted that the Turkish armed forces are allowed to concentrate on the territories controlled by the opposition groups. The inclusion of Idlib in the list of de-escalation zones will lead to all participants of the conflict trying to change their strategy, and this will affect the situation as a whole," said Arab expert Rami Abdulhafez.
According to him, the outcomes of the Astana process are inextricably linked with the events taking place in the provinces of Idlib and Deir az-Zor, as the Syrian government forces crossed to the eastern shore of the Euphrates. This can lead to a warming of relations between Turkey and the official Damascus, as both sides, despite their disagreements, agree that clashes with Kurdish groups cannot be avoided.
Nevertheless, the fate of the agreements remains unclear, since not all instruments for monitoring compliance with the clauses of the treaty have been announced. Besides, the position of the parties, whose interests are not included in this treaty, is still unknown.
"Let's not forget about the warming in the relations between Turkey and Iran, which became possible after Kurds in Iraq held a referendum on secession. As a result, Iran made a decision to close its border with Kurdistan, which was taken with great enthusiasm by the Turkish side. Such a rapprochement will allow to achieve some success in the negotiation process since it was precisely the disagreements between Turkey and Iran that prevented achieving positive results during the previous fifth round of talks in Astana," Abdelhafez said.