Asaad Hassan al-Shibani was appointed foreign minister and Murhaf Abu Qasra was appointed defense minister. Both are affiliated with HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Syria's new regime has appointed a foreign and defense minister, Syrian state news agency SANA said, as it seeks to restore international relations after a two-week hiatus. Bashar al-Assad was removed.
The General Command on Saturday appointed Asaad Hassan al-Shibani as foreign minister, SANA reported. A source in the new organization told Reuters that this “is due to the desire of the Syrian people to establish international relations that bring peace and stability”.
Murhaf Abu Qasra was appointed as the defense minister in the interim government, a source told Reuters. Abu Qasra, also known by the nom de guerre Abu Hassan 600, is a senior figure in Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the opposition groups that ousted al-Assad.
Al Jazeera's Resul Serdar, in Damascus, said Abu Qasra and al-Shibani are “very close” to HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. “This raises questions as to whether HTS is forming its own government or the Syrian government,” he said.
“So far, 14 ministers have been appointed, and all of them are allies or friends of al-Sharaa.”
Al-Sharaa, the new ruler of Syria, has been working with foreign delegations since taking power, including receiving the Syrian envoy to the United Nations and the United States officials.
He said that his main goal is to rebuild and achieve economic development and that he does not want to be involved in new conflicts.
Syrian opposition forces seized control of Damascus on December 8, forcing President al-Assad to flee after more than 13 years in power and ending his family's decades-long rule.
The army under the leadership of al-Sharaa has established a three-month caretaker government.
Washington labeled al-Sharaa a “terrorist” in 2013, saying al-Qaeda in Iraq had tasked him with ousting al-Assad. US officials said on Friday that Washington would withdraw a profit of $10m on his head.
The war killed tens of thousands of people, created the worst refugee crisis of our time, and left cities devastated by bombings and economic collapse due to international sanctions.
Qatar opens embassy
Qatar reopened its embassy in Damascus on Saturday, 13 years after it was closed at the start of Syria's war, as foreign governments seek to establish ties with the country's new rulers.
Qatar will become the second country after Turkey to reopen its embassy since al-Assad fled from exile.
Doha sent a delegation to Damascus a few days ago to meet with the transitional government.
On Tuesday, the European Union said it was ready to reopen its diplomatic mission in Damascus.
The French flag was raised at the Paris embassy in Damascus on Tuesday, although the country's special envoy to Syria said the operation would remain closed “as long as security measures are not met”.