Syria’s top diplomat says he hopes to open a “new, bright page” with Saudi Arabia upon arriving in the kingdom, the first foreign visit for Syria’s new rulers.
The visit, which started late on Wednesday, came less than a month after Bashar al-Assad’s regime removed him from power on December 8th.
Asaad al-Shaibani posted on X on Friday, “I have just arrived in the sisterly kingdom of Saudi Arabia, accompanied by the Minister of Defense Murhaf Abu Qasra and the General Intelligence Service head Anas Khattab.”
“Through this first visit in the history of Free Syria, we aspire to open a new, bright page in Syrian-Saudi relations that befits the long shared history between the two countries”, he added.
Al-Shaibani was appointed foreign minister on December 21 by Syria’s interim government, becoming the country’s first top diplomat since al-Assad’s overthrow.
Syrian state media earlier on Wednesday reported that the Saudi foreign minister had invited the delegation to the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed bin Abdulkarim El Khereiji was met by the delegation at Riyadh’s international airport, according to a statement shared by the foreign ministry.
Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and General Intelligence Chief Anas Khattab make up the Syrian delegation, which highlights the importance of the visit diplomatically and strategically.
In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera aired 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.
As Iran loses its hold on Syria, former US diplomat and Pentagon official Adam Clements claimed that Saudi Arabia is working to strengthen ties with the country.
“I think this is very significant”, he told Al Jazeera on Thursday. He said that from a “diplomatic standpoint”, Riyadh wants to forge stronger ties with the new Syrian administration.
At the beginning of construction and reconstruction, Saudi Arabia would play a significant role. I believe the Gulf States could also support that because Syria is so heavily dependent on Iran for oil and fuel, he said.
In an interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television on Sunday, Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also referred to as Abu Mohammed al-Julani said Riyadh “will certainly have a large role in Syria’s future”, pointing to “a big investment opportunity for all neighbouring countries”.
Al-Sharaa heads the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that led the rebel offensive that ousted al-Assad.
More than 13 years of civil war, which started with a crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in 2011, have devastated Syria’s economy and infrastructure.
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