DAMASCUS — A Syrian and an Israeli official are expected to meet in Baku on July 12, marking a rare diplomatic interaction between the two long-standing adversaries, according to a diplomatic source in Damascus familiar with the matter. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s official visit to Azerbaijan, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions.
While President Sharaa is not expected to attend the meeting, it will reportedly focus on “the recent Israeli military presence in Syria.” Israel has carried out numerous airstrikes in Syrian territory following the December ousting of former ruler Bashar al-Assad, aiming to prevent advanced weaponry from falling into the hands of the Islamist-led interim administration now led by Sharaa.
Israel also deployed troops into parts of the UN-patrolled buffer zone in the Golan Heights, conducting deeper incursions into southern Syria in recent months.
Sharaa, who has previously voiced Syria’s preference for peaceful relations with its neighbors, has called on the international community to pressure Israel into halting its military operations. His government recently acknowledged indirect contacts with Israel aimed at reviving the 1974 disengagement agreement, which established a demilitarized buffer zone between the two countries.
Despite Israel’s repeated accusations of Sharaa’s ties to militant groups, including Al-Qaeda, there have been recent signs of a thaw. In late June, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar expressed interest in pursuing a peace and normalization agreement with Syria.
While a Syrian government source quoted by state media called such talk “premature,” international observers have noted a shift. U.S. special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, commented during a visit to Lebanon this week that “the dialogue has started between Syria and Israel.”
U.S. President Donald Trump, who met President Sharaa in Riyadh in May, said he encouraged Syria to follow the example of other Arab states that have normalized relations with Israel. “(Mr Sharaa) said yes. But they have a lot of work to do,” Mr Trump noted following the meeting.
President Sharaa arrived in Baku earlier on July 12 for bilateral talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. During the visit, Azerbaijan announced plans to begin exporting natural gas to Syria via Turkey, signaling growing economic engagement alongside the unfolding political dialogue.
Israel, a key arms supplier to Azerbaijan, maintains a strong diplomatic presence in the Caucasus nation, which shares a border with Iran , a country both Israel and Azerbaijan view with strategic caution. The planned meeting in Baku is seen as a tentative yet significant development amid shifting geopolitical alliances in the region.