‘Stand with our Syrian brothers’, Jordan FM says after meeting with al-Sharaa syrian war news

Jordan’s foreign minister has held talks with Syria’s de facto ruler Ahmed al-Shar’a in Damascus as regional leaders move to engage with the new administration after it ousted President Bashar al-Assad two weeks ago.

“We stand with our Syrian brothers as they begin the reconstruction process,” Ayman Safadi told Al Jazeera on Monday.

Safadi said, “We want a stable, secure Syria that guarantees the rights of its people through a transitional process consistent with the aspirations of the Syrian people.”

Mohammed al-Khulaifi, Qatar’s minister of state at the Foreign Ministry, also arrived in the Syrian capital, days after Doha opened its embassy in Damascus after 13 years.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid al-Ansari said al-Khulaifi would hold a series of meetings with Syrian officials to “concrete Qatar’s firm position in providing all assistance to the Syrian people.”

Monday’s high-profile diplomatic visit came a day after Turkey’s foreign minister met with the new administration and promised political change and help rebuild the war-torn country.

Hakan Fidan and al-Sharaa stressed the need for unity and stability in Syria on Sunday, as they called for the lifting of all international sanctions against the war-ravaged country.

Turkiye backed Syrian opposition fighters led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from al-Shara, which led the offensive that overthrew Bashar al-Assad’s 54-year rule.

Safadi also noted that Syria’s security and stability is important for Jordan and the region.

“We share a 375 km (230 mi) border with Syria. We want the border to be stable, free from terrorist organisations, free from drugs and arms trafficking,” he told Al Jazeera.

In recent years, Jordan has tightened border controls on its border with Syria to curb drug and arms smuggling. One of the main drugs smuggled is the amphetamine-like stimulant Captagon, which is in huge demand in the oil-rich Gulf.

“We are working on the challenges and discussed the security of our shared border with Mr. Shaara today,” Safadi said.

Jordan’s foreign minister also condemned Israel’s attacks on Syria in recent days, saying “this is an encroachment on Syria’s sovereignty.”

“Israel must withdraw from Syrian territory while respecting the 1974 agreements,” he said.

Jordan also hosted a summit earlier this month at which top Arab, Turkish, EU and US diplomats called for an inclusive and peaceful transition after more than a decade of war.

Reporting from Damascus, Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra said the new authorities in Syria are eager for greater recognition from neighboring countries.

“As far as (the meeting with Jordan) is concerned, it will be an important boost for Al-Sharaa. He wants to build bridges with Jordan. There are many tribal relationships along the border between Jordan and Syria, Ahelbarra said.

Jordan also hosts thousands of Syrian refugees, some of whom have returned home following the fall of al-Assad. Jordan claims it hosts about 1.3 million refugees but the UN says 680,000 Syrian refugees were registered with it.

Al-Shara’a has hosted Arab as well as Western diplomats as it aims to achieve formal diplomatic recognition.

Al Jazeera’s Ahebara reported that al-Sharaa met Turkey’s foreign minister yesterday and later met with a top adviser to Saudi Arabia’s king to discuss Syria’s future.

Regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia is expected to send a delegation soon, according to Syria’s ambassador to Riyadh.

Since coming to power, Al-Shar’a has also received a number of foreign delegations, in addition to neighboring Arab countries.

On Friday, Barbara Leaf, the United States’ top diplomat for the Middle East, met with Syria’s de facto leader. Leaf said he hoped Syria would completely eliminate any role for Iran in its affairs. A handful of European delegations have also visited in recent times.

Sultan Barakat of Hamad bin Khalifa University, based in Doha, told Al Jazeera: “I think the Jordanians, as well as neighboring countries, have been encouraged by the Americans to go to (Syria) first… Practically everyone except Iran “We are very happy with the change in power among the regional powers.”

“They understand that the Syrian people have been suffering for more than 50 years, especially in the last 13 years this has created a lot of instability in the region. So everyone is welcoming stability in Syria,” he said.

Separately, on Monday, Iran reaffirmed its support for Syria’s sovereignty and said the country should not become a “haven of terrorism” after the fall of President al-Assad, whom Tehran had backed militarily.

“Our principled position on Syria is very clear: preserving Syria’s sovereignty and integrity and the right of the Syrian people to decide on their future without destructive foreign interference,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei told a weekly news briefing. “