Syria’s new Overseas Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani has spoken completely to Al Jazeera in regards to the new administration’s targets, orientation, and progress up to now.
Chatting with Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra on New 12 months’s Day, just a little greater than three weeks after longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad was ousted, al-Shibani was keen to stipulate progress up to now.
The interim administration – led by the commander-in-chief, Ahmed al-Sharaa – is anticipated to carry talks on January 5 to debate Syria’s future agenda at an important Nationwide Dialogue Convention, which can make clear an important deal in regards to the path ahead.
Sanctions now not assist Syrian folks
After a brutal wave of repression of protesters in 2011 that led to Syria spiralling into warfare, Australia, Canada, the European Union, Switzerland and america imposed sanctions on the al-Assad regime.
The intention on the time, al-Shibani stated, was to ship a message of assist to the Syrian individuals who had been struggling beneath the repressive regime.
However now, he argued, the principle motive for them was gone; the 1000’s of detainees that al-Assad saved in “human slaughterhouses” across the nation had been free, and the nation was working to restore the harm.
As such, “steady enforcement [of sanctions] has change into meaningless and ineffective”, al-Shibani famous.
The US had designated Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – the group led by al-Sharaa which spearheaded the offensive towards al-Assad – a terrorist organisation in 2018, and positioned a $10m reward on him, which may show a complication to lifting the sanctions.
Nonetheless, Barbara Leaf, the US assistant secretary of state for close to jap affairs, and different officers visited Damascus on December 20, after which she introduced dropping the bounty and signalled Washington’s willingness to have interaction.
“We absolutely assist a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political course of that leads to an inclusive and consultant authorities which respects the rights of all Syrians, together with ladies, and Syria’s various ethnic and spiritual communities,” Leaf stated.
Partaking with the world
One of many new administration’s key priorities is to stay open to partaking with everybody and rebuilding relations with the skin world, al-Shibani stated.
He is because of go to Saudi Arabia within the coming days throughout which, Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra stated from Damascus, the highest diplomat could possibly make progress on Syria’s readmission to the Arab League.
Relations with the US, he identified, would seemingly be essential, but it surely stays to be seen how they’d develop.
“Syria immediately is open to all and able to have interaction with all events, though definitely the event of this administration would seemingly depend upon the US facet.
“We’re prepared to boost this relation so long as the brand new US administration exhibits willingness,” Ahelbarra stated, referencing the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
Addressing issues raised regularly by non-Syrians in regards to the potential for violence towards minorities in Syria, he acknowledged that that they had been talked about in discussions with the US.
Nonetheless, he clarified, the brand new administration is decided to deal with everybody as Syrians, not as teams of minorities.
“[A]n American deal with these points, may inadvertently reinforce divisions inside Syrian society and contribute to its fragmentation,” he stated.
Muhanad Seloom of the Doha Institute of Graduate Research famous that the brand new Syrian administration has come a good distance by way of interesting to the worldwide group.
“For the Syrian administration … I believe they’ve come a good distance [and] additionally proven restraint by way of defending the ethnic teams in Syria by not permitting anybody to take the legislation into their very own fingers,” he informed Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera’s Ahelbarra added that because the happiness of al-Assad’s fall wears off, Syrians will begin to look to their new caretaker authorities for assist.
“Right this moment is January 1, 2025, and from immediately, and within the upcoming days, folks will begin asking extra questions in regards to the challenges forward.
“This new administration promised to extend authorities salaries by 400 %. However after they took over the central financial institution, the coffers had been empty … it was all embezzled by the Assad regime,” he famous.
