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Conflict in Syria

Foreign Minister of Syria to make his first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia

Hassan al-Shaybani said that the new Syrian authorities hope to build strategic relationships with Riyadh in all areas

BEIRUT, December 30. /TASS/. Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Transitional government of Syria Asaad Hassan al-Shaybani will visit Saudi Arabia - his first official foreign visit since his appointment.

"I received an official invitation from His Excellency Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to visit the kingdom. I gladly accept this invitation, it is an honor for me to represent my country during the first official visit," al-Shaybani said on his X page.

He added that the new Syrian authorities hope to build strategic relationships with Riyadh in all areas. The date for the visit has not been specified.

In late November, armed opposition units launched a large-scale offensive on positions held by Syrian government forces in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces, capturing several major cities: Aleppo, Hama, Deraa, and Homs. On December 8, they entered Damascus, prompting government troops to withdraw from the capital. Bashar Assad stepped down as Syrian president and left the country. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, who had led the so-called Syrian Salvation Government in the Idlib Province since January 2024, announced his appointment as head of Syria’s interim government. The interim period is expected to last until March 1, 2025.

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