The UAE’s president on Sunday informed his Syrian counterpart it used to be time for diplomatically remoted Damascus to be reintegrated into the broader Arab area all the way through a gathering in Abu Dhabi, state media reported.
The go back and forth by way of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad — his 2d to the oil-rich United Arab Emirates in as a few years — comes after a discuss with to Oman remaining month, his simplest reputable engagements in Arab international locations because the get started of Syria’s battle in 2011.
It coincides with amplified engagement by way of Arab states in opposition to the Damascus govt which has been politically remoted within the area because the get started of Syria’s battle and used to be expelled from the Cairo-based Arab League in 2011 over its violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations.
“Syria has been absent from its brothers for too lengthy, and the time has come for it to go back to them and to its Arab environment,” Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan informed Assad all the way through a gathering on the presidential palace, in keeping with the reputable WAM information company.
The Emirati president referred to as for efforts to facilitate the repatriation of Syrian refugees and recommended engagement between Damascus and Ankara, which is now running in opposition to a rapprochement with Assad after years of supporting rebels preventing his govt, in keeping with WAM.
– ‘Deeper imaginative and prescient’ –
Abu Dhabi, which normalised family members with Assad’s govt in 2018, has led support efforts within the aftermath of the February 6 earthquake that struck southeastern Turkey and northerly Syria, killing tens of hundreds.
Analysts say the diplomatic momentum generated within the quake’s aftermath may bolster Damascus’s family members with Heart Jap international locations that experience up to now resisted normalisation after greater than a decade of battle.
“The UAE’s means and efforts in opposition to Syria are a part of a deeper imaginative and prescient and a broader means geared toward strengthening Arab and regional balance,” stated Emirati senior presidential adviser Anwar Gargash.
“The UAE’s place is obvious in regards to the want for Syria to go back to” its position within the Arab international and regain legitimacy within the area, Gargash stated on Twitter.
“This used to be showed by way of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed all the way through his assembly lately” with Assad, the adviser added.
All the way through Sunday’s assembly, Assad praised the UAE’s position in strengthening family members between Arab international locations, in keeping with a remark by way of the Syrian presidency.
The Syrian president criticised the coverage of severing ties between Arab states as an “improper idea in politics”, arguing that family members must be “fraternal”, the remark stated.
– ‘Time to reconcile’ –
All the way through the battle, Assad had hardly ever long gone in a foreign country, with the notable exception of journeys to allies Iran and Russia — the place he visited once more this week and met with President Vladimir Putin.
Sunday’s UAE discuss with is Assad’s first reputable go back and forth in a foreign country accompanied by way of his spouse Asma in additional than a decade.
It additionally comes at the heels of a Chinese language-brokered announcement previous this month to finish a seven-year diplomatic rupture between regional powerhouses Iran and Saudi Arabia, who had sponsored rival facets in Syria’s battle.
“Syria is now not an enviornment for Saudi-Iranian war of words because it used to be at sure phases,” Assad informed Russian state broadcaster RT in an interview remaining week, welcoming the Saudi-Iran detente as a “glorious marvel”.
“Saudi coverage has taken a distinct course in opposition to Syria,” he stated.
On Thursday, Iran’s best safety reputable Ali Shamkhani met the Emirati president in Abu Dhabi and held talks with UAE nationwide safety adviser Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who on Sunday attended the welcoming rite for Assad.
The overseas minister of Saudi Arabia, which has additionally despatched quake support to Syria, stated remaining month a consensus used to be development within the Arab international {that a} new strategy to Damascus can be had to deal with humanitarian crises together with the quake.
The UAE had pledged greater than $100 million in help to quake-hit Syria, by way of a ways the biggest sum from any unmarried country.
It had additionally dispatched a seek and rescue workforce, supplied hundreds of tonnes in emergency aid pieces and supplied scientific remedy for Syrian quake sufferers in Emirati hospitals.
And the UAE’s overseas minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, remaining month turned into the primary senior Arab reputable to discuss with Syria because the quake.
Emirati analyst Abdulkhaleq Abdulla stated Abu Dhabi “is satisfied, at the side of many Arab states, that the time has come to reconcile with Assad… and notice Syria go back to the Arab League and the Arab fold”.
“The UAE is spearheading efforts to reconcile with enemies of the previous and turn into them into the chums of day after today,” Abdulla informed AFP.
