Norwegian delegation meets Syria’s new administration leader in Damascus

AMMAN, Jordan

The leader of Syria's new administration Ahmed al-Sharaa met in Damascus Sunday with a Norwegian ministerial delegation, in the first official meeting between the two nations since last month’s fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

State news agency SANA said the Norwegian delegation is led by Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.

There were no further details about the content of the meeting.

In recent weeks, several top European delegations, including from France, Germany and Spain, paid official visits to Damascus and had their contacts with the Syrian new administration.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi.