Russia bolstering regional role

A contact group on the Syrian crisis is expected to convene in Moscow this month upon the invitation of the Russian government.

The Russian deputy foreign minister told Russian news agency RIA Novosti on Monday that Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey and Egypt are expected to take part, besides Russia, in the meeting that will discuss the Syria crisis.

Jordan expects to be part of the group in view of its proximity and the strong impact developments in its northern neighbour have on it, particularly when more than one-and-a-half-million Syrians live on Jordanian soil.

A meeting of this sort without Jordan would be meaningless, to say the least.

The agenda of this projected meeting has yet to be announced, but can be expected to discuss the future of Syria after five years of warfare, killing and destruction unmatched in recent times whose ramifications affect neighbouring countries.

About 300,000 Syrians were killed during this conflict and half of the Syrian population is now either internally displaced or refugees in the region and across Europe.

Moscow is trying really hard to become a major player in the search for a permanent solution to the Syrian conflict.

It should, too, since it has a vested interest in this Arab country that houses its only Mediterranean fleet and gives it a foothold in the area.

Now that Moscow has deployed military forces and launched aerial strikes on Daesh positions in Syria, it can expect to bolster its position in the Middle East. 

Holding a conference in Moscow to discuss Syria only adds to its clout in the region.

Russia is in effect trying to fill the vacuum left by the US in the region, but it has to tread carefully as its strikes against people not affiliated with Daesh can complicate an already complex situation and cast doubts about its true intentions and objectives.

Moscow’s spread seems slow but sure. Now it seems even  Baghdad is trying to make it intervene in the Iraqi theatre; if it does, Iraq will be drawn into Russia’s sphere of influence as well, enlarging it and strengthening Moscow’s grip on the area.

If Russia wishes to become an honest peace broker, it needs to outline its goals and objectives in a clear manner, and stick to them consistently.

It could do well to learn a few lessons from the vacillating US position, which left the region in a mess.