Official government announcements and international news reports

Saudi Arabia Hosts Riyadh Meetings on Syria's Future Post-Assad, Urges Sanction Relief

Jan 12, 2025, 12:25 PM

Saudi Arabia hosted a series of meetings in Riyadh on Sunday to discuss the future of Syria following the fall of the Assad regime last month. The meetings included Arab foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Egypt, as well as representatives from the United States, France, Turkey, the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, the United Nations, and the European Union. The discussions aimed to support the Syrian people in rebuilding their nation, emphasizing the importance of respecting Syria's sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. The Gulf Cooperation Council's Secretary-General, Jassim Al-Badawi, condemned repeated Israeli attacks on Syria and called for Israel's withdrawal from all Syrian territories, including the Golan Heights. Additionally, there was a strong call from the meetings for the lifting of unilateral and international sanctions imposed on Syria to aid its development and reconstruction. The Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, echoed this sentiment, urging the lifting of sanctions to facilitate Syria's recovery. The new Syrian government, led by Ahmed Al-Charaa and represented by Foreign Minister Assad Al-Chibani, is pushing for the lifting of sanctions. Key attendees included UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, EU's Kaja Kallas, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, and US Deputy Secretary of State John Bass.