Syrian diplomats have called for the removal of pro-Assad individuals appointed under the former regime [Getty]
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shiabani issued a decision to remove Syria’s ambassadors in Moscow and Riyadh from their positions, as part of a wider diplomatic reshuffle, according to an official source cited by the country’s SANA news agency.
Bashar al-Jaafri, Syria’s envoy to Moscow, and Ayman Sousan, the ambassador to Riyadh, have now been reassigned to the ministry’s central administration in Damascus.
The affairs of the embassies in Moscow and Riyadh will now be managed by the charge d’affaires until Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa issues official appointments for the two positions.
A Syrian Foreign Ministry source said earlier today that a comprehensive review of the statement of Syrian missions abroad is also currently underway, with important decisions regarding their reorganisation being announced soon.
The reshuffle is being carried out to better reflect the aspirations of Syrians since the ouster of the now exiled former President Bashar al-Assad, and to further enhance the presence of Syrian institutions and missions.
The reshuffle also comes after Syrian diplomats criticised the current government’s decision to retain people appointed under Assad, accusing them of “remaining loyal to him and actively engaging in activities against the Damascus government”.
Former ambassador Bassam al-Emadi told The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister publication, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, that Syrian foreign ministry officials were relying on flawed advice when it came to keeping diplomats appointed under the former regime.
He said they are showing “ignorance of diplomatic work and principles, and insist on excluding experts and are relying on loyalty over competence”.
Washington’s memorandum
This reshuffle comes as Washington delivered a memorandum to the Syrian mission to the United Nations, stating its legal status would be changed from a permanent mission of a UN member state to a “mission of a government not recognised by the US”, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.
The memorandum stipulated that G1 visas granted to diplomats representing recognised governments will be withdrawn and replaced instead with G3 visas, which are for representatives of governments not recognised by the US.
UN Security-General Antonio Guterres commented on this, saying: “Syria’s status as a member state at the UN has not changed and will not affect its representation within the UN”.
He further said that the state of any country’s membership is subject to the UN Charter and has nothing to do with the issue of a country’s recognition of a particular country’s government.
