Syria FM in Saudi Arabia on maiden trip as new rulers reset regional ties
Al Jazeera
Asaad Al-Shaibani arrived in Riyadh in his first overseas visit since the removal of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria.
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 began late on Wednesday, came less than a month after former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by rebel forces on December 8.
“I have just arrived in the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, accompanied by the Minister of Defence Murhaf Abu Qasra and the Head of the General Intelligence Service Anas Khattab,” Asaad al-Shaibani posted on X.
“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.
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