Syrian officials' participation in a round of talks with Israeli representatives, coordinated by the US, to advance normalization between the two countries brought optimism to the Syrian government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, KAN News reported on Monday.
The meeting will take place in Paris, with Syrian officials expressing optimism about the outcome, "assuming the Israelis come to them seriously," according to KAN.
A Syrian official told Israeli outlet Haaretz that orders have been given to the Damascus police to ensure stability in southern Syria, with the official directive being "to stop any element that tries to entangle the Syrians [in conflict] with Israel."
IDF troops are currently stationed in southern Syria, as part of an expanded buffer zone that aims to restrain military actions against Israelis in the Golan Heights and hostilities along the border between the countries.
The KAN report also mentions that this, alongside Israeli support for the spiritual leader of the Syrian Druze, Sheikh Hikmat al-Hajari, the leading voice aiming for an independent Druze state from Syria, will be among the issues raised by the Syrian delegation in Paris.
Syrian officials, Foreign Minister travel to Paris
The SANA News Agency reported that the Syrian delegation was led by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and Head of the General Intelligence apparatus Hussein al-Salameh.
A Syrian official told SANA that this round of negotiations aims to "reaffirm Syria’s firm commitment to restoring its non-negotiable national rights."
The discussion will focus on reactivating the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, with an Israeli withdrawal to the lines in place as of December 8, 2024, under a reciprocal security agreement.