Astana talks a glimmer of hope for Syria

Damascus government and rebel factions fighting to overthrow it came face-to-face for the first time on Monday in Kazakhstan, where the representatives of Russia, Turkey and Iran sought to bolster a shaky cease-fire which is in place since last month. The Astana gathering is the first time Syrian government representatives are sitting down with an opposition delegation made up mainly of rebel factions.
More than a dozen rebel representatives were invited to attend the two-day talks in Astana. Previous face-to-face talks in Geneva included an opposition delegation made up mostly of political figures. Trading military fatigues with civilian dress, rebel fighters haggled in closed-door meetings and huddled over maps with a Russian presidential envoy to discuss the outlines of a cease-fire and humanitarian
corridors.
Those attending the Astana talks included some of the most powerful rebel factions, mostly operating in northern Syria. The majority were part of the Free Syrian Army, an early rebel umbrella group that was a conduit for western and regional assistance and later splintered into dozens of factions.
At the end of the two-day meeting, they were urged to consider attending the next round of political talks to be held in Geneva next month.
Russia and Turkey included Iran to set up ‘a trilateral mechanism to observe and ensure full compliance with the ceasefire’ established last month. The three nations will set up a joint military monitoring center on Syria in Astana.
But there is growing discord between Russia and Iran, which have fundamentally different ambitions in Syria. Tehran is determined to push home Assad’s advantage while Moscow wants to scale down its military involvement. The Shiite fighters supported by Iran make Assad less dependent on Russia. It undermines the Kremlin’s efforts to promote some kind of political process in Syria.
Moscow, which blasted Syrian regime for breaking the ceasefire, urged Tehran to honor its commitments under the new accord. Alexander Lavrentiev, the Kremlin envoy to Syria, said that Iran is expected to help as a guarantor of the signed
agreements.
And an early test could come in Wadi Baradi, an area outside of Damascus that is still the scene of a government offensive and is home to key water-pumping facilities that have been damaged either by fighting or sabotage, cutting supplies to some five million people. Russia is putting in efforts to improve the situation there as well as in Eastern Ghoutta near Damascus.
The opposition accuses Iran, which backs militias including Lebanon’s Hezbollah that are fighting alongside Assad’s forces, of continuing to support attacks in spite of the agreement to halt violence.
Although, it is too early to judge the outcome of the Astana meeting, but it is apparently the beginning of a new effort to end six years of carnage that has killed hundreds of thousands, displaced half of Syria’s population and sent millions of refugees to neighbouring countries and Europe.
The Astana meet, which ended on positive note, can pave the way for direct talks between the different Syrian parties in Geneva next month. The three countries must put press on regime, pro-regime, and opposition forces to abide by the ceasefire in order to create an environment more conducive to intra-Syrian political
discussions.
Finding ways to build confidence between the Syrian government and its armed opposition will also improve the fight against terrorist groups, who are excluded from a cease-fire.