All the participants stressed that the meeting was a success, and important diplomatic symbolism was undoubtedly achieved, but this is just the beginning of what's sure to be an extended complementary process running parallel to Geneva. As they say, Rome wasn't built in a day, and nor will Syria be rebuilt in one, either. Although incremental progress was made and the participants said that they were pleased with the results so far, there are a few crucial details surrounding this event which – if analyzed objectively – could reveal deeper political undercurrents and hint at future challenges.
One of the most pertinent are two statements from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov issued just a few days before the start of the talks. The presidential representative tempered the global public’s hopes for a speedy solution to the War on Syria by remarking that "Any deals are unlikely to be reached there, as too many parties are involved in the process", which is ironic because it was the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs which broadened the participation roster by inviting Jaysh Islam and the US. The latter guest drew the public ire of the Iranians, who loudly objected to their presence before the negotiations began, leading Mr. Peskov to comment in the same address that "Iranians are not welcoming this…This is probably the cause of some disagreement between Moscow and Tehran."
In Moscow's defense, however, it's impossible to resolve the war without the US' eventual participation, and thankfully, Russian-Iranian divisions over this issue didn't remain a public problem. After the meeting was concluded, Russian chief negotiator Alexander Lavrentiev made a surprise announcement that a Moscow-written draft constitution had been presented to both Syrian delegations, which Sputnik's exclusive revelations indicate contains suggestions for Kurdish "autonomy" and possibly "federalization". Russia is acting as a guarantor of Syrian-Kurdish talks on federalization so it makes sense in hindsight why they’re suggesting this solution, though Damascus has previously rejected the PYD Kurds' unilateral declaration of this arrangement last year. Moreover, Syrian chief negotiator and UN Ambassador Bashar al-Jaafari echoed President Assad when he told reporters after the talks ended that "even [ideas] as crazy as federalism" must be subject to a referendum before any prospective implementation.
To discuss this in more detail we are joined by Afraa Dagher, Syrian political activist, and Jamiila Assi, a Syrian blogger and founder of jamilaeyes.com.
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