Syria’s foreign minister is on his first visit to Saudi Arabia after the new rulers reestablished regional ties. syrian war news
Assad al-Shaibani arrived in Riyadh on his first foreign trip since the ouster of Bashar al-Assad from Syria.
Syria’s top diplomat says he hopes to open a “new, bright page” with Saudi Arabia upon arriving in the kingdom, the first trip abroad by Syria’s new rulers.
The visit, which began late Wednesday, came less than a month after former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by rebel forces on December 8.
“I have just arrived in the ally Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and General Intelligence Service chief Anas Khattab,” Assad al-Shaibani posted on Twitter.
He said, “Through this first visit in the history of liberated Syria, we aspire to open a new, bright page in Syrian-Saudi relations that is befitting the long shared history between the two countries.”
Al-Shaibani was appointed foreign minister by Syria’s interim government on 21 December, becoming the country’s first top diplomat since the overthrow of al-Assad.
Earlier on Wednesday, Syrian state media said the delegation was visiting the kingdom “at the invitation of the Saudi foreign minister.”
A statement shared by Syria’s Foreign Ministry said Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed bin Abdulkareem El Kheriji welcomed the delegation at the international airport in Riyadh.
The Syrian delegation includes Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and General Intelligence chief Anas Khattab, underscoring the diplomatic and strategic importance of the visit.
In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera broadcast on Tuesday, al-Shaibani called for the lifting of all Western sanctions on Syria as he detailed the new administration’s plans for the country’s future.
Former US diplomat and Pentagon official Adam Clements said Saudi Arabia is working to establish stronger ties with Syria as Iran loses its influence over the country.
“I think it is very important,” he told Al Jazeera on Thursday. He said that from a “diplomatic perspective”, Riyadh wants to build stronger ties with the new Syrian administration.
“Saudi Arabia will also have a big role in starting the construction and reconstruction. Syria is very dependent on Iran for oil and fuel, and so I think the Gulf countries can also support it,” he said.
In an interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television on Sunday, Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Shaara, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, said Riyadh “certainly plays a big role in the future of Syria.” Will have a role”. Investment opportunity for all neighboring countries”.
Al-Sharaa heads the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that led the rebel attack that ousted al-Assad.
Syria’s economy and infrastructure have been devastated by more than 13 years of civil war that began with a crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011.
Saudi Arabia cut ties with al-Assad’s government in 2012 and backed Syrian rebels trying to overthrow him at the start of the country’s civil war. In 2023, the Arab League readmitted Syria after more than a decade of suspension.
