The details of the fifth round of the US-Israeli-Syrian talks in Paris
In a joint US-Israeli-Syrian statement, the US version said that high-level Israeli and Syrian officials met in Paris, under the auspices and mediation of the United States, and after fruitful discussions, the two sides reached a renewed commitment to seek lasting security and stability arrangements for the two countries.
The statement also said the two sides agreed to establish a joint coordination mechanism – a dedicated communications cell – to facilitate immediate and ongoing coordination on intelligence sharing, military de-escalation, diplomatic engagement, and trade opportunities, under US supervision.
The United States commends these positive steps and reaffirms its commitment to supporting the implementation of these understandings, as part of broader efforts to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East… Their relations are for the good of future generations.
According to the Israeli Jerusalem Post newspaper, the US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack praised the outcome of the meeting, calling it a breakthrough and reflecting a strong and mutual desire to move from denial to genuine cooperation and shared prosperity.
“The two parties are committed to a new relationship based on transparency and partnership, which can address what both parties have regretted in the past, and accelerate future cooperation”.
The meeting was attended by Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, the military secretary to the prime minister and acting head of the National Security Council, general Roman Gofman, and from the Syrian side, the Syrian foreign minister, Asaad al Shaibani and head of intelligence Hussein Salameh, and Tom Barrack, Jared Kushner, and Steve Witkoff.
“The new Syrian government has made it unequivocally clear that it doesn’t harbor any hostile intentions towards Israel, but rather seeks a relationship based on respect and coexistence, and Israel is keen to build relations with the leadership of its neighbors, and appreciates replacing the old hostile regime with one committed to cooperation,” Barrack was quoted as saying.
The Jerusalem Post newspaper added that the talks saw for the first time that the two sides agreed to start talks between the two sides on civilian issues as well, including health care, energy and agriculture.
“Under President Trump’s leadership and inspiration, prioritizing economic opportunity, prosperity, and open dialogue consistently leads to fruitful and long-term cooperation,” Barrack commented.
The Israeli newspaper concluded by noting that various sources described the meeting as very constructive and positive, stressing that progress has been made, while at the same time warning that many issues are still in their early stages, and there is still a lot of work to be done.
According to a Syrian official said that the latest round of talks with Israel in Paris, which took place on Monday and Tuesday, concluded with an initiative to suspend all Israeli military activities against Syria.
“It’ll not be possible to move forward with strategic files in the talks with Israel without a clear and binding timetable for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Syrian territory seized after the overthrow of Bashar al Assad,” the official added.
“The Syrian official accused Israel of procrastinating on using technical loopholes in the talks, and said it should abandon its ‘expansionist mentality’ so that the talks can move forward.
There was no immediate statement from Israel on whether it had agreed to suspend military operations in Syria, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated that during the talks, Israel focused on security issues, as well as economic cooperation between Israel and Syria.
