Emirates and Syria strengthen ties
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in Damascus, marking the first visit by a senior Emirati official to Syria in a decade.
Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan was received at Damascus airport by the Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Faisal Mekdad. Afterwards, the Emirati foreign minister and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad discussed a number of issues, including the latest developments in the Middle East and Syria, which has been in a decade-long civil war between the al-Assad government and the opposition, which includes jihadist terrorists. The Syrian president has been justifying this war on the pretext of the obligation to eliminate the terrorist groups that remain on Syrian territory, in the stronghold of Idlib. Syria currently receives the main support of Russia, a major military ally in this conflict, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, a nation sympathetic to Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's tendency.
Al-Asad and Bin Zayed reviewed options for further strengthening diplomatic ties between the two close nations, as reported by the official Emirati news agency WAM.
The meeting between Bashar al-Asad and Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan was held in the presence of Faisal Mekdad, Minister of Foreign and Expatriates Affairs in Syria, Mansour Fadlallah Azzam, Minister of Presidential Affairs, Khalifa Shaheen al-Marar, Minister of State, and Ali Mohammed bin Hammad al-Shamsi, Chairman of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed conveyed to President Bashar al-Assad the greetings of National President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and also conveyed the intention to work together for greater stability, progress and prosperity in Syria. The Emirati foreign minister also stressed the UAE's deep intention to ensure the security and unity of Syria, and full support for resolving the Syrian issue so that the people can enjoy a real stage of development, to overcome the current scenario of destruction and poverty.
The Syrian president reciprocated the greetings and underlined the strong ties between the two fraternal nations. He also praised the objective positions taken by the UAE, as highlighted by WAM news agency.
This significant new contact between the UAE and Syria follows previous contacts. On 20 October, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan received a phone call from President Bashar al-Assad. During this conversation, the Abu Dhabi prince and the Syrian president discussed the two countries' relations and ways to enhance joint cooperation in various fields for their mutual interests, as recalled by Al-Ain News.
Also in March, the Emirati foreign minister urged his Arab partners to allow Syria to return to Arab League meetings, which could help resolve the Syrian conflict. Also in October, Syria and the UAE announced economic and other agreements, and the Emirate reopened its embassy in Damascus in 2018, after several years of closure since the outbreak of the Syrian war.
