Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani visited Qatar on January 5. From Doha, he asked the United States to lift its economic sanctions against Syria. He is also due to travel to the Emirates and Jordan.
After a first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia, Syria’s new Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani was in Doha on January 5 to strengthen ties with Qatar.
Loyal support of the Syrian opposition since 2011, Qatar received, through its head of diplomacy Sheikh Mohammed ben Abdul Rahman Al Thani, the Syrian emissary of the new administration in Damascus. Both men emphasized strategic issues.
Accompanied by Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and the head of general intelligence Anas Khattab, the head of Syrian diplomacy notably discussed the importance of lifting American sanctions to revive the Syrian economy. Coercive measures from Washington which, according to him, prevent the country from rebuilding itself and attracting foreign investment.
Damascus asks Washington to lift sanctions
“These sanctions constitute a barrier and obstacle to the rapid recovery and development of the Syrian people who expect services and partnerships from other countries,” Asaad Al-Shaibani said. “We reiterate our call on the United States to lift these sanctions, which are now directed against the Syrian people rather than the Assad regime,” he insisted.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani “reiterated the position of the State of Qatar in favor of the unity, sovereignty and independence of Syria,” said a statement from the Qatari diplomacy.
The Syrian delegation is due to travel to the United Arab Emirates on January 6, a loyal supporter of Bashar al-Assad after the reestablishment of bilateral relations between the two countries in December 2018. The Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs will then visit Jordan to discuss the issues of Syrian refugees and border drug trafficking.
On January 2, Asaad Al-Shaibani visited Riyadh on his first trip abroad. Since the fall of Bashar el-Assad on December 8, the new masters of Damascus have increased their meetings with Western and regional delegations in order to secure their power over Syria and normalize relations with the outside world.
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