Syria’s president to visit UAE and Turkey to boost ties | World News
Syria’s new President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, will travel to the United Arab Emirates for the first time and is also set to visit Turkey next week, the Syrian foreign minry said on Sunday, according to Reuters.
Sharaa had earlier visited Turkey in February and also made a trip to Saudi Arabia that month — his first official foreign visit since taking office in January.
Sharaa became president after Bashar al-Assad was ousted in a sudden offensive last December, led the Sunni Islam group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which Sharaa is part of. Since then, the new leadership has been trying to build stronger ties with both Arab countries and Western governments.
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“We are working to strengthen Syria’s relationships with the region and beyond,” an official close to Sharaa was quoted Reuters.
The Syrian government is also urging the international community to lift sanctions that were imposed during Assad’s rule.
“Syria badly needs the sanctions to be lifted so we can begin to rebuild our economy,” the Syrian foreign minry said in its statement.
Syria’s economy has been severely damaged nearly 14 years of war. Countries such as the United States, Britain, and members of the European Union had placed heavy sanctions on Syria, targeting individuals, companies, and entire sectors in an effort to pressure Assad’s government.
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