DOHA, January 12. /TASS/. Participants in the ministerial meeting on Syria in Riyadh hailed the Syrian new authorities’ first steps and called for lifting all the sanctions off that country, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said.
"Participants in the meeting welcomed the positive steps taken by the new Syrian administration on what concerns preserving state institutions, following the path of dialogue, continuing fighting against terrorism, and trying to launch a political dialogue involving all elements of Syrian society, which will promote stability in Syria, preservation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will ensure that Syria is not a source of threats for the countries of the region," he said after the talks.
According to the top Saudi diplomat, the ministers also stressed the need for continuing humanitarian and economic assistance and creating conditions for the return of Syrian refugees, as well as for lifting unilateral and UN sanctions that were imposed on Syria.
Riyadh hosted Saudi-initiated talks on Syria, which were attended by Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, the minister of foreign affairs in Syria’s transitional government. Participants in the meeting also included Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, top diplomats from the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, and France, head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas, and UN envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen. The talks were preceded by al-Shibani’s meeting with top diplomats from Arab countries.
Armed opposition units in Syria launched a large-scale offensive on government troops in the Aleppo and Idlib governorates in late November 2024. On December 8, they entered Damascus, while President Bashar Assad stepped down and fled the country. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, who had led the so-called Syrian Salvation Government in the Idlib governorate, announced his appointment as head of Syria’s interim government, saying that the transitional period will last until March 1, 2025.