Qatar's embassy in Syria will resume operations on Tuesday, the Gulf emirate announced on Sunday as its diplomats visited the country and met with its transitional government following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad. AFP reported.
“Qatar announces the resumption of the work of its embassy in the sister Syrian Arab Republic starting the day after tomorrow, Tuesday,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
He also names a new head of mission in Syria, Khalifa Abdullah Al Mahmoud Al-Sharif.
Doha closed its embassy in Damascus and recalled its ambassador in July 2011, at the start of the uprising against Assad's government that turned into a civil war.
Unlike other Arab countries, Qatar never restored diplomatic relations with Syria under the government of Assad, who was toppled by the 11-day rebel advance that leveled major cities and then the capital, Damascus.
Doha said the return after a 13-year hiatus was “an expression of the State of Qatar's principled position with the Syrian people's revolution” as well as a “categorical rejection of all repressive policies of the” Assad regime.
Earlier, Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told Qatar's official news agency that a Qatari delegation was in Syria and had met with transitional government officials.
The delegation “arrived in Damascus to complete the necessary procedures for the opening of the embassy of the State of Qatar,” Ansari said.
In their meetings, “the delegation reaffirmed the State of Qatar's full commitment to supporting the Syrian people… following the success of their revolution,” the spokesperson added.
Ansari said the Qatari delegation had also “discussed with the Syrians to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid from Qatar and assessed the needs of the Syrian brothers during this important phase.”
This week, an official briefed on the developments said Qatar had “established the first channel of communication” with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the overthrow of the previous government.
The official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the discussions, added that “the focus of communication with HTS and others is on the need… to maintain calm and preserve Syria's public institutions during the transition period.” “.
Other governments that opposed Assad's government, including Türkiye and the United States, have said they had also established contacts with HTS.
