Syria’s president Sharaa to visit Turkiye, UAE next week

Syria’s New President Sharaa to Visit UAE and Turkiye as Part of Diplomatic Push

BEIRUT: Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is set to visit the United Arab Emirates and Turkiye next week, according to a statement from the Syrian Foreign Ministry on Sunday. These visits mark a continued effort by Sharaa to build international support for his administration, which took power after the ousting of former president Bashar Assad in a swift military campaign last December.

This will be Sharaa’s first visit to the UAE and his second to Turkiye, following a previous trip there in February. He established the Gulf as a major area of priority for his foreign policy agenda when he traveled to Saudi Arabia earlier the same month for the first time as president.

Sharaa and other members of the new Syrian government have made a concerted effort to reestablish and fortify diplomatic ties with both Arab countries and Western powers since taking office in January.
Their efforts aim to garner regional and international legitimacy for the new leadership, which emerged after a rapid offensive led by Sharaa’s Sunni Islamist faction, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, brought an end to Assad’s rule.

A central priority for the new government has been calling for the complete removal of international sanctions on Syria. The US, UK, and European nations’ sanctions, which have been in place for almost 14 years, have severely damaged Syria’s economy, impacting people, companies, and entire industries. Lifting these restrictions, according to Sharaa’s administration, is essential to stabilizing the country and repairing its damaged economy.