Dubai: Qatar announced on Sunday that it will reopen its embassy in Damascus, Syria, on Tuesday, after a 13-year hiatus.
The resumption of operations comes amid ongoing efforts by Arab nations to normalise ties with Syria, as the country seeks to emerge from years of conflict and isolation.
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the embassy will officially resume operations on Tuesday, with Khalifa Abdullah Al Mahmoud Al Sharif appointed as chargé d’affaires.
In a statement on Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the resumption of the embassy’s operations in Damascus comes after nearly 13 years of severing all diplomatic relations with the Syrian regime in 2011, expressing Qatar›s principled stance alongside the Syrian people›s revolution and its steadfast support for their demands for a dignified life, freedom, and social justice. It also reaffirmed Qatar’s categorical rejection of the regime›s repressive policies against the Syrian people.
The ministry emphasised that the resumption of embassy operations, coinciding with the triumph of the Syrian people’s revolution, reflects the continued firm and supportive position of Qatar towards the Syrian people and their struggle to attain their legitimate rights for a dignified life.
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It also enhances Qatar’s relief efforts that began with an air bridge to assist the Syrian people in overcoming the requirements of the transitional phase and providing urgent humanitarian aid needed by Syria. The ministry renewed Qatar’s commitment to actively contributing to regional and international efforts to achieve a transitional political process that ensures the unity, sovereignty, and stability of Syrian territories and leads the new Syria towards a future that meets the aspirations of its people for security, stability, development, and prosperity.
Earlier in the day, a Qatari delegation has arrived in Syria and met with officials in the country’s transitional government following the ouster of President Bashar Al Assad by Islamist-led rebels, the country said.
The diplomatic delegation “arrived in Damascus to complete the necessary procedures for the opening of Qatar’s embassy” Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said in a statement, adding the Qataris met with the interim government, and reiterated Doha’s “full commitment to supporting the brotherly Syrian people”.
