Reportedly, it was part of a spate of retirements by senior Foreign Service officers. That process has been somewhat disrupted by the resignation of the entire senior level of management officials at the US Department of State during the last week of January 2017. US administrations do not formulate their policies and action based on invitations or exchanges of short public statements but through the work of federal employees engaged in the daily task of analyzing situations, the development of policies and policy approaches, and the formal implementation of those policies through diplomacy, and when appropriate, the utilization of other tools of national power. There is also far more to Syria than the talks. While the invitation from Lavrentyev is laudable and was likely appreciated by the Trump administration, there is far more involved in repairing the broken relationship between the US and Russia than opening the door with an invitation to participate in Russian-led Syria talks. So enervated was former US Secretary of State John Kerry, and other officials, with the search for common ground with Russia on Syria that the effort was essentially suspended. By the end of the Obama administration, the US-Russia relationship stood in ruins. Perhaps it may even serve as evidence that at least on some foreign policy issues, Putin is not locked into a single intent, immutable. Russia’s invitation “to take a more active role” on Syria appears to reveal a change of heart in the Kremlin on the US with the advent of the Trump administration. This was ostensibly an invitation for the Trump administration to fully participate in what Russia hopes will be on-going talks.
Moscow’s envoy to the talks, Alexander Lavrentyev, told reporters that Russia would welcome the US taking a more active role in attempts to resolve the conflict. Instead, the Trump administration chose not to send a delegation, and the US was represented by the US ambassador to Kazakhstan. The new administration of US President Donald Trump did not push for a role in what were albeit at the Russian-led talks. That effort has largely been unsuccessful. The administration of former US President Barack Obama was a primary supporter of Syrian Opposition Movement and the effort by its armed rebels to shape events on the ground to force Assad regime to talks to discuss the transition to a new government. As the talks progressed, however, both sides tempered expectations, saying the aim in Astana was to buttress the fragile truce as a foundation for more political talks later. Russia, which supports the Assad regime, and Turkey, which supports some rebel groups, explained last week they hoped the talks would begin to map the outlines of a political settlement to end the conflict. The parties planned to reconvene a month later in Geneva for UN-sponsored talks. However, significantly different views were expressed by the Assad regime and opposition rebels over what those systems to monitor and enforce should be.
The Assad regime and Syrian opposition both said they supported the plan. The arrangements for monitoring the cease-fire and enforcing it would be decided at later meetings.
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Under the new agreement, the monitors are to ensure full compliance with the truce and prevent provocations, according to a joint statement issued by three sponsors.
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At a news conference in Astana, de Mistura said, “When we came here to Astana, our immediate priority was to ensure the consolidation of the ceasefire.” He went on to say that in the past that previous cease-fires broke down because of a lack of monitoring and agreement on how to implement them. The UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura was also present at the January talks. The latest deal was called a possible step toward a political solution to end the six-year war. On the second day, January 24, 2017, the officials agreed to jointly monitor a fragile ceasefire between the warring parties established on December 30, 2016. It seems to be engaging in a bit of guessing on it.Īccording to a JanuWall Street Journal article entitled, “Russia, Turkey and Iran Agree on Syria Truce Monitoring,” officials from the Russian Federation, Turkey, and Iran met in Astana, Kazakhstan for two days with representatives of Syrian Arab Republic and the Syrian Opposition Movement. Moscow appears eager to know Trump’s plans for Syria. The administration of US President Donald Trump will act regarding Syria when it chooses, in an appropriate, measured way.
Following Russian Federation-led peace talks between representatives of Syrian Arab Republic and the Syrian Opposition Movement on Januin Astana, Kazakhstan, Moscow’s envoy, Alexander Lavrentyev, welcomed the US to take a more active role in efforts to resolve the conflict.