Ahmed Asmar
07 January 2025•Update: 07 January 2025
ANKARA
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani arrived in Amman on Tuesday for his first visit to Jordan since last month’s downfall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.
Shaibani was accompanied by Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and intelligence chief Anas Khattab during the trip to discuss horizons of cooperation between the two countries, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported.
Addressing a news conference following talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Shaibani said that the new situation in Syria “has ended the threats previously faced by Jordan.”
"The Assad regime left behind a legacy of problems with its people and neighboring countries," he said. "We will erase this from the memory of Syrians and neighboring states."
The top diplomat said Syria’s foreign policy will be transformed, stressing that the Assad regime "used blackmail and threats as negotiation tools."
"We have decided to form an expanded preparatory committee for national dialogue to ensure comprehensive representation of the Syrian people," he added.
Shaibani said despite the fall of the Assad regime, sanctions continue to target the Syrian people, hindering the country’s recovery.
On Monday, the US Treasury Department announced a six-month easing of sanctions on Syria to facilitate the continuation of essential services in the country.
Shaibani called the US decision a “breakthrough.”
“But we await the complete lifting of the sanctions,” he stressed.
Safadi, for his part, said Syria’s new administration bears a “heavy burden.”
“We must assist them in their mission,” he said. “The new administration faces significant challenges and it should be given time to address them."
The top Jordanian diplomat reiterated his country’s readiness to provide electricity to Syria immediately.
“Jordan will remain a supporter of Syria and will offer all possible assistance to the Syrian people,” he said.
“Syria’s stability is a factor of stability for Jordan," he said, adding that joint committees will be formed with the Syrian side to address security, energy, and other issues.
On Dec. 23, Safadi traveled to Damascus and met with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of the new Syrian administration.
A statement by the Jordanian Foreign Ministry following Safadi's visit said that Syria's reconstruction is of strategic importance to both Jordan and the broader region.
Shaibani has so far visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates since Assad’s fall.
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 decades-long regime.
The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.
A new administration led by al-Sharaa has now taken charge.
*Writing by Ahmed Asmar and Rania Abu Shamala
