Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Wednesday, March 15 in Moscow with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, as the Kremlin steps up its efforts to reconcile Turkey and Syria in the wake of devastating earthquakes.
These efforts come as the diplomatic cards have been dramatically reshuffled in the Middle East with the Beijing-sponsored restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Face-to-face
For the Kremlin, sponsoring a reconciliation between Turkey and Syria, scrambled since 2011, would display Moscow's diplomatic weight despite its isolation in the West since the start of the conflict in Ukraine.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad, who arrived in Moscow on Tuesday evening, should begin after twelve o'clock (Paris time) with a meeting with their delegations, before a face-to-face.
They will discuss in particular "
the reconstruction of Syria after the war and the pursuit of the settlement of the Syrian question
", he told the press on Wednesday.
"
Relations between Turkey and Syria will certainly be affected in one way or another
" by these discussions, added Dmitry Peskov.
Read alsoKim Jong-un, Erdogan, Xi Jinping, Bashar el-Assad: the good life of dictators
Attempt at reconciliation
Russia and Turkey have diverging interests in Syria, where Moscow backs Bashar al-Assad's regime when Ankara backs rebel groups seeking to overthrow him in the civil war that erupted in 2011. Despite this, Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have forged a strong relationship in recent years, which explains Moscow's role in the Turkish-Syrian reconciliation attempt.
Erdogan has said several times in recent months that he is ready to meet Bashar al-Assad to seal the thaw in relations.
Turkey and Syria, two border countries resulting from the break-up of the Ottoman Empire after the First World War, were devastated in early February by a double earthquake which killed more than 50,000 people in the two countries.
Read alsoTurkey: anti-Erdogan nominate their presidential candidate
This earthquake gave rise to an intense "
earthquake diplomacy
" which enabled Syria to come out of its isolation somewhat, as several Arab countries resumed contact with it to send aid.
According to Turkish media, diplomats from Russia, Turkey, Syria and Iran are also due to meet this week in Moscow to prepare a meeting at the level of their foreign ministers.