Syria’s new foreign minister said during a visit to Qatar on Sunday that US sanctions are hindering the country’s ability to recover swiftly from years of conflict and called on Washington to lift them.
“These sanctions constitute a barrier and an obstacle to the rapid recovery and development of the Syrian people who await services and partnerships from other countries,” Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said after meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who also serves as foreign minister.
Shibani said that Qatar, which had previously refrained from normalising relations with Assad, will be a partner in Syria’s new phase.
This marked Sibani’s second regional trip less than a month after rebels ousted former President Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian delegation, which included Defence Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and intelligence chief Anas Khattab, also held meetings with senior Qatari officials.
Qatar’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Mohammed al-Khulaifi, told reporters that Shibani outlined a clear plan for Syria’s near future, detailing steps the new administration would take.
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Shibani said the roadmap aims to “rebuild our country, restore its Arab and foreign relations, enable the Syrian people to obtain their civil and basic rights, and present a government that the Syrian people feel represents them and all their components”.
The Syrian foreign minister will also visit the United Arab Emirates and Jordan later this week.
His first foreign trip was to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, where he met with Saudi officials to discuss ways to support Syria’s political transition.
