Foreign dignitaries and officials are beginning to travel to Syria to meet with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the country’s newly appointed transitional president.
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani became the first head of state to visit Damascus, Syria’s capital, and meet with Sharaa.
The Qatari royal court said the emir discussed with Sharaa “the urgent need to form a government that represents all segments of the Syrian people.”
Before being appointed to his current role, Sharaa was the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a U.S.-designated terrorist group, that spearheaded the campaign in December to wrest control of the country from President Bashar al-Assad. Assad fled to Russia, ending more than half a century of oppressive rule by Bashar and his late father, Hafez.
Qatar has been a longtime supporter of Syria’s opposition. The foreign ministers of both countries held a press conference Thursday.
“The Syrian people won’t forget Qatar’s committed position while we open a new chapter in a new Syria,” Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani said.
Qatar is looking forward to providing Syria with additional aid in the electrical and infrastructure arenas, Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed al-Khulaifi said.
Promise of inclusive government
On Wednesday, the commanders of the military factions that toppled the former regime named Sharaa, who has served as the de facto head of government since the fall of Assad, as president during the formation of a new government.
Sharaa, who was once aligned with al-Qaida, is facing the daunting task of forming a temporary legislative council for the transitional period, as the previous parliament has been dissolved.
Syria’s constitution has also been annulled, and a new charter will be adopted. No timeline for the creation of a new parliament and constitution has been announced.
Sharaa has promised to create an inclusive government and eventually elections. The elections could take as long as four years to arrange, Sharaa said, according to Reuters.
Russians, Palestinians visit
On Tuesday, delegations from Russia and the Palestinian Authority arrived in Syria. The Russian delegation included Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Alexander Lavrentiev, Russia’s special envoy for Syria, according to RIA Novosti. There was no official government comment on the itinerary of the Russian officials. However, the Russians were expected to meet with Sharaa and Syria’s foreign minister, according to the semiofficial Al Watan newspaper.
Syria has not cut all ties with Russia, where Assad is living in exile. Russian troops and assets remain in Syria, but they have all been relocated to Hmeimim Air Base, The Associated Press reported.
A Palestinian Authority delegation that included Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa was in Syria on Tuesday to meet with Sharaa, but no details have been released.
At one point, the U.S. placed a $10 million bounty on Sharaa, according to the AP. The bounty was removed recently after a U.S. delegation met him in Damascus.
In a video released after the meeting with the Syrian factions, Sharaa said one of his top priorities would be filling “in a legitimate and legal way” Syria’s government. Another priority, he said, will be “maintaining civil peace by seeking transitional justice and preventing revenge attacks” due to Assad’s reign.
Some information for this report came from Reuters and The Associated Press.
