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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: DR. KHALID MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

World / Middle East

Syrian ministers arrive on first visit to Qatar

Published: 05 Jan 2025 - 12:44 pm | Last Updated: 05 Jan 2025 - 01:23 pm
Peninsula

AFP

Doha: Ministers from Syria's transitional government arrived in Qatar on Sunday for their first visit to the Gulf state since the toppling of president Bashar al-Assad last month, officials and news agency SANA said.

The interim foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, was accompanied by defence minister Morhaf Abu Kasra and the new head of intelligence, Anas Khattab, SANA reported.

It said the delegation would discuss with Qatari officials "prospects for cooperation and coordination between the two countries".

A Syrian diplomat and a Qatari official told AFP Shaibani had arrived on Sunday morning for meetings.

War in Syria erupted in 2011 after Assad cracked down on peaceful democracy protests.

In a statement on X, Shaibani on Friday said he would visit Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan over the coming days.

"We look forward to these visits contributing to supporting stability, security, economic recovery, and building distinguished partnerships," the foreign minister wrote.

Qatar was the second country, after Türkiye, to reopen its embassy in the Syrian capital following the overthrow of the Assad clan.