Russia, Syria, Iran and Turkey set to hold key meeting this week; here's what to expect

Deputy foreign ministers from Russia, Syria, Iran, and Turkey are set to convene in Moscow for quadripartite talks this week. The negotiations, anticipated to continue for two days, mark the initial direct talks between officials from Syria and Turkey since December, when Moscow hosted meetings between the two countries' defense and intelligence ministers – a notable milestone after more than a decade of diplomatic detachment. According to a report from the Sputnik, the discussions are expected to center on a potential normalisation of relations between the neighboring nations.

According to Syrian media reports on Sunday, Assistant Foreign Minister Dr. Ayman Sousan is slated to lead the Syrian delegation at the quadripartite talks in Moscow. Sousan stated that he and his Russian and Iranian counterparts plan to engage in bilateral consultations on Monday, followed by a quadripartite meeting involving Turkey on Tuesday. Damascus' agenda will centre around negotiations for the removal of Turkish troops from Syrian land, as well as collaborative efforts to combat terrorism and a demand for non-interference in Syria's internal affairs.

Turkey confirmed it will take part in the meeting last week

Last week, officials in Ankara confirmed that Turkey would participate in the upcoming quadripartite talks in Moscow. A senior official, who wished to remain anonymous, characterized the negotiations as a "continuation of the ministerial-level meetings that began during the normalization process." However, the official stated that "no significant decisions" should be anticipated due to the absence of ministerial-level participation.

At a joint press conference last week with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian confirmed Iran's involvement in the upcoming quadripartite talks and emphasized the significance of "rapprochement of the views of Turkey and Syria" as the central focus of the negotiations. “Tehran and Moscow will also make efforts to bring these views closer together. And if some framework is determined at these negotiations, the next meeting can be held at the level of foreign ministers,” he said. 

In January, Iran joined the Russian-led diplomatic normalization process for Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that it was "absolutely logical" for Tehran to participate, given that all three nations – Moscow, Tehran, and Ankara – are members of the Astana Process, an initiative aimed at establishing peace in Syria.