‘Stand by our Syrian brothers’, says Jordan FM after meeting al-Sharaa | Syria’s War News

The Jordanian Foreign Minister held talks with Syria’s de facto ruler, Ahmed al-Sharaa, in Damascus as regional leaders move to deal with the new administration after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad two weeks ago.

“We stand alongside our Syrian brothers as they begin the rebuilding process,” Ayman Al-Safadi told Al Jazeera on Monday.

Al-Safadi added: “We want a stable, safe and secure Syria that guarantees the rights of its people through a transitional process that is compatible with the aspirations of the Syrian people.”

The Minister of State at the Qatari Foreign Ministry, Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, also arrived in the Syrian capital, days after Doha opened its embassy in Damascus after 13 years.

Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari said that Al-Khulaifi will hold a series of meetings with Syrian officials “to embody Qatar’s firm position in providing all support to the Syrian people.”

The high-level diplomatic visit on Monday came a day after the Turkish Foreign Minister promised to help with the political transition process and rebuild the war-torn country after his meeting with the new administration.

On Sunday, Hakan Fidan and Shara stressed the need for unity and stability in Syria, and also called for the lifting of all international sanctions imposed on the war-torn country.

Türkiye has supported Syrian opposition fighters led by the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham affiliate of the Shara Front, which led the offensive that toppled Bashar al-Assad’s 54-year rule.

Al-Safadi pointed out that the security and stability of Syria is the key to Jordan and the region.

“We share a distance of 375 kilometres [230-mile] Border with Syria. “We want those borders to be stable, free of terrorist organizations, and free of drug and weapons smuggling.”

In recent years, Jordan has tightened border controls as part of a crackdown on drug and weapons smuggling along its border with Syria. Among the main drugs being smuggled is the amphetamine-like stimulant Captagon, which is in great demand in the oil-rich Gulf states.

Al-Safadi said: “We are working to solve the challenges and discussed the security of our common borders with Mr. Al-Sharaa today.”

The Jordanian Foreign Minister also condemned the Israeli attacks on Syria in recent days, and said: “They are an infringement on Syria’s sovereignty.”

He added: “Israel must withdraw from Syrian territory while respecting the 1974 agreement.”

Jordan also hosted a summit earlier this month attended by senior Arab, Turkish, European Union and US diplomats, calling for a comprehensive and peaceful transition after more than a decade of war.

Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahlbara said in a report from Damascus that the new authorities in Syria are keen to gain more recognition from neighboring countries.

“as far as [the meeting with] Jordan is concerned that this will be a major boost to Sharia law. He wants to build bridges with Jordan. “There are many tribal ties along the border between Jordan and Syria,” Ahlbara said.

Jordan also hosted hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, some of whom returned to their homes after the fall of Assad. Jordan says it hosts about 1.3 million refugees, but the United Nations says that 680,000 Syrian refugees are registered with it.

Al-Sharaa hosted Arab and Western diplomats as well, seeking to obtain official diplomatic recognition.

Ahbara from Al Jazeera indicated that Al-Sharaa met with the Turkish Foreign Minister yesterday and later met with one of the Saudi king’s senior advisors to discuss the future of Syria.

Saudi Arabia, a regional power, is expected to send a delegation soon, according to the Syrian ambassador in Riyadh.

In addition to neighboring Arab countries, Al-Sharaa has also received a large number of foreign delegations since he came to power.

The top US diplomat for Middle East affairs, Barbara Leaf, held a meeting on Friday with the de facto leader of Syria. Lev said that she expects Syria to completely end any role of Iran in its affairs. A number of European delegations also visited the country in recent days.

Sultan Barakat, of Doha-based Hamad Bin Khalifa University, told Al Jazeera: “I think the Jordanians, as well as neighboring countries, encouraged the Americans to visit.” [Syria] First… Practically all regional powers, with the exception of Iran, are very happy about a regime change.”

He added: “They realize that the Syrian people have been suffering for more than 50 years, especially during the past thirteen years, which have caused a lot of instability in the region. Therefore, everyone welcomes stability in Syria.”

Separately, on Monday, Iran affirmed its support for Syria’s sovereignty and said that the country should not become a “haven for terrorism” after the fall of President Assad, whom Tehran supported militarily.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said in a weekly press conference: “Our principled position on Syria is very clear: to preserve Syria’s sovereignty and integrity and for the people of Syria to decide their future without destructive foreign interference.”