Qatar says to reopen embassy in Syria ‘soon’

DOHA: Qatar said on Wednesday that it would soon reopen its embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus after president Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in an rebel offensive.

The Gulf country “will soon reopen its embassy in the sisterly Syrian Arab Republic after completing the necessary arrangements”, foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said in a statement.

The move aimed to “strengthen the close historical fraternal ties between the two countries”, said the statement.

It also sought to “enhance coordination with relevant authorities to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid currently provided by Qatar to the Syrian people” via an air bridge, it added.

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Doha closed its diplomatic mission in Damascus and recalled its ambassador in July 2011 after an uprising against the Assad government turned into a civil war.

Unlike other Arab countries, Qatar never restored diplomatic ties with Syria under Assad, who was toppled over the weekend as rebels swept into the capital.