Andrey Baklanov: "Trump will try to bring order to US Middle East policy"

The meeting on the Inter-Syrian settlement between Damascus and the Syrian opposition in Astana finished in the Kazakh capital of Astana. The sponsors of the peace talks - Russia, Iran and Turkey - have agreed to establish a mechanism to observe full compliance with the ceasefire in Syria. "We appreciate the participation in and facilitation of the above-mentioned talks by the UN Secretary-General Special Envoy on Syria and reaffirm our commitment to the sovereignty, independence and unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic as a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, non-sectarian and democratic State, as confirmed by the UN Security Council," the joint statement says. The deputy head of the Council of the Russian Diplomats Association, Andrey Baklanov, told Vestnik Kavkaza about the Syrian settlement and the new US policy in the Middle East.

- How will the policy of the new US president affect the international political situation, in particular in the Middle East?

- A rethinking of both domestic and foreign policies had been brewing for a long time in the US. It was clear that the US is waiting for a big change, comparable with the period associated by us with the name of President Roosevelt, or with a period of a rethinking of the US policy after the failure of the Vietnam war. Now a search for new priorities is brewing in the recent history of the United States for the third time, as well as avoidance of those areas that were not justified. This necessity, which is felt both by the upper classes and the American people, organically coincides with the elections and the emergence of such a significant figure as Donald Trump. In some way he was generated by life itself. Once upon a time Trump has been repeatedly asked, as such an ambitious and rich man, if he would ever run for president. He answered, "I have no such plans yet." He was becoming more mature as well, and now his personal ambitions are in line with the situation, which involves a major change in the US.

Of course, the changes will also affect the Middle East policy of the US, because in recent years, a dangerous lack of rationality has been most felt in the Middle East. Some things were just ridiculous for specialists, for example, the nomination of the concept of the Greater Middle East by the Americans 12 years ago (as if it was some kind of a new concept). By the time of an extension of this initiative there were no experts in the US State Department, who knew that this concept has already been used.

I think that now Trump will try to put things in order, return specialist, make politics more rational, although it will remain "imperialist." We are very interested in this process taking place in the United States, and at some point this process uniting with our efforts to bring the region out of endless wars and start a normal peaceful development.

- The intra-Syrian talks in Astana are coming to en end. Is it already possible to sum up any results?

- This is a brand new meeting format. This is a formation of a new direction, which pulls up those to the negotiation process, who have a real influence on the warring parties. This is important in itself, and at the same time it is whipping up the Geneva process, because the Geneva format wasn't of much help for peoples of the world. As well as whipping the UN officials up, those who have worked very badly, slowly and inertly. In some cases, they suddenly took the side of those who are not worth protecting. Even de Mistura recently began to support the formation of councils in the territory of Aleppo during the last days of extremists there. In fact, it could be legalized power of extremist elements.

I think that now Astana will make other politicians to act in other areas more responsible, more proactive and more sensibly. Other negotiators will only gain from it. Of course, then they need to expand the number of countries that actually ready to work in this direction, find a formula to bring those, who want and can work and is able to influence the people, who at one time took up arms, but now understand that the weapons will not solve the Syrian crisis, to the negotiating table.

- Does it mean that you do not expect any breakthrough moments?

- It has been a breakthrough moment in itself. Perhaps, there will be no verified final documents, ambitious ready-made recipes, but it has been a breakthrough moment. It is a realization of the long-overdue need to pull up the warring people to the settlement process. This process has already taken place - more than a thousand localities have agreed to end the war. While Astana is attempting to bring the process, which was at the level of local municipalities, to the national level. It cannot be done immediately, but the attempt itself is a breakthrough.