Britain salvages Syria parleys
Posted by seumasach on May 12, 2013
M.K.Bhadrakumar
12th May, 2013
The British prime minister David Cameron’s weekend visit to Sochi and his meeting with President Vladimir Putin evidently injects new vitality into the Russian-American diplomacy over Syria earlier in the week when the US secretary of state John Kerry paid a “working visit” to Moscow.
Kerry’s talks in Moscow left things hanging in the air and the disquieting signs were that the common ground reached in the talks with the Russian leadership would get eroded.
Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are plainly unhappy that the Obama administration could be shifting its stance apropos of the Russian argument that the Syrian dialogue should be “inclusive” and the regime headed by President Bashar al-Assad should be part of it.
There is criticism back home as well that Kerry conceded ground in the Moscow talks. Critics had some harsh things to say.
Enter Cameron. Of course, no one can question Britain’s historical legacy in the Asia Minor, having godfathered the infamous Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916. But Cameron came for a different purpose than picking up the thread of the imperial legacy, but playing a contemporaneous role over the Syrian crisis. He stepped in to hold the baby for the US. And he apparently did it with elan.
Despite the chill in Russia-UK ties, Putin warmed up to him. From Sochi Cameron headed for Washington to talk things over with Obama. Obama, Cameron and Kerry would put their heads together on Monday and come up with ideas on the modalities of shepherding the Syrian parties to the conference table.
The Kremlin expects a phone call from the White House early next week. Moscow is pleased that there is traction in the consultations. Indeed, when three out of five permanent members of the UN security council set their hearts on something, a new dynamics could develop even in a multipolar world.
But then, do not completely overlook the grit of the Turks, Saudis and Qataris (and the Iranians). After all, they didn’t jump into the Syrian problem for the fun of it. They are stakeholders too and may not like to be treated as sidekicks.
Meanwhile, Cameron seized the good atmospherics in Sochi to canvass some business for the British energy companies. Putin announced the constitution of a jointworking group on energy. To be sure, Cameron is looking for upstream business in the Russian energy sector and Moscow may accommodate British companies. BP already holds a 20% stake in Rosneft. The geopolitics of Syria, by the way, is also about the vast untapped energy reserves of the Eastern Mediterranean.
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