Jordan hosts ministerial-level talks on post-Assad Syria

ANKARA

Jordan on Saturday opened talks on Syria, bringing together foreign ministers and senior officials to discuss the ongoing developments following the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime.

Representatives from 13 countries, including Türkiye and the US, as well as the European Union, the Arab League, and UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen, are participating in the talks, according to an Anadolu correspondent.

Jordan, which shares a border with Syria, is hosting discussions in the Red Sea city of Aqaba as part of efforts to foster regional stability and international cooperation after the fall of the Assad regime.

The agenda includes a meeting of the Arab Ministerial Contact Group on Syria, which comprises Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, and the Secretary-General of the Arab League.

This will be followed by a broader session involving the foreign ministers of Türkiye, the US, and France, along with representatives from the UK, Germany, and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

Participants are expected to hold discussions with Jordan’s King Abdullah II later in the day, followed by a news conference featuring several ministers.

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 regime, which had been in power in Syria since 1963.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi