The Syrian Defense and Foreign Ministers met this Thursday in Riyadh with the Saudi Defense Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, in the first international trip by members of the new Syrian government, less than a month after the group assume power.
Salman said, in a post on Platform X, that he discussed with Syria’s new Foreign Minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, about the best way to help with the country’s political transition. The head of Syrian intelligence also participated in the meeting.
Since the overthrow of former president Bashar al-Assad on December 8, Islamist rebels led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have tried to assure Arab countries and the international community that they will govern for the good of all Syrians and that they will not try to export an Islamic revolution.
HTS was al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria until it broke ties with the group in 2016. At the start of the Syrian civil war, Saudi Arabia supported rebels fighting against Assad.
Recently, Riyadh normalized ties with the Assad government, paving the way for Syria’s return to the Arab League in 2023. This move was an attempt to reduce Iranian influence in the country and contain the flow of drugs.
