Syrian ministers urge lifting of US sanctions in first visit to Doha

DOHA: Ministers from Syria’s transitional government urged the United States to lift its sanctions on Damascus during their first visit to Qatar since overthrowing president Bashar al-Assad.

In a statement, Qatar’s foreign ministry said the Gulf country’s premier met with Syria’s interim foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, defence minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and the new head of intelligence, Anas Khattab.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani “reiterated the State of Qatar’s position in support of Syria’s unity, sovereignty and independence,” the statement said.

Earlier, a Syrian diplomat and a Qatari official confirmed to AFP that Shaibani had arrived on Sunday morning for meetings in Qatar, the host of the US’s largest military base in the region.

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Unlike other Arab countries, Qatar never restored diplomatic ties with Syria under Assad, who was toppled by an 11-day rebel advance that swept through major cities and then the capital Damascus in December.

Following discussions with Qatar’s Minister of State, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Shaibani reiterated calls for the lifting of US sanctions on Syria.

The interim foreign minister called the measures a “barrier and an obstacle to the rapid recovery” telling local media that his government “renewed our demand for the United States of America to lift these sanctions”.

At the end of December, Qatar also called for the quick removal of sanctions on Syria.

The international community has not rushed to lift economic restrictions on Syria and is instead waiting to see how the new authorities exercise their power.

Shaibani added that Syria would “enjoy very good relations with the region” in contrast to those with the Assad government.

Khulaifi said the new government had presented “a clear roadmap for Syria in the near future and the steps that will be taken by the leadership and political administration in Syria”.

The conflict in Syria erupted in 2011 after Assad brutally cracked down on peaceful democracy protests.

It morphed into a multi-pronged war in which Doha was for years a key backer of the armed rebellion.

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 Turkey, to reopen its embassy in the Syrian capital following the overthrow of Assad.