Qatar has continued to engage with various stakeholders and welcomed the opposition steps in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
Qatar and the U.S. have discussed the latest developments in Syria and the road ahead following the fall of the decades-long Bashar al-Assad regime on Sunday.
The discussions took place over the phone between Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday.
“During the call, they stressed the need to ensure the unity of Syria, work towards a peaceful power transfer through an inclusive political process based on Security Council Resolution 2254, and enhance efforts to protect civilians and combat terrorism,” Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Qatar had also held talks with Russia, Türkiye and Iran on the sidelines of the Doha Forum 2024, prior to the fall of the Assad regime.
The discussion between Blinken and Qatar’s Prime Minister also centred around measures to bring all Syrian groups to “participate in a meaningful political process”, according to a statement from Blinken’s office.
The meeting emphasised the “importance of protecting civilians, facilitating the flow of humanitarian assistance, preventing Syria from being used as a base for terrorism or posing a threat to its neighbours,” the statement added.
Blinken also held talks with counterparts from Jordan, the UAE, and Egypt, the State Department’s spokesman Matthew Miller told in a press conference.
Foreign Ministers of Jordan and Egypt Ayman Safadi and Badr Abdelatty, as well as the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, were also in discussions with the US to lead a “credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance” in Syria, Miller added.
During a briefing earlier on Tuesday, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari also reaffirmed the Gulf state’s support for a government formed as per the Syrian people’s will.
Al Ansari, who also serves as the Prime Minister’s advisor, said Qatar will continue to provide aid and maintain communication with Damascus to restore relations that had been severed in recent years under the Assad rule.
He also criticised Israel’s recent military occupation of Syrian territories, slamming the occupation forces for taking advantage of the political situation.
“Syria’s territorial integrity and unity must be respected, and these circumstances should not be exploited,” Al Ansari said in the press conference.