Syria's main airport operated its first international flights on Tuesday since the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad's government last month, as new leaders seek to project a semblance of normalcy in the war-weary country.
A Qatar Airways plane landed after a direct flight from Doha to Damascus, the capital of Syria. Jordan's Civil Aviation Authority announced that it had sent its first flight to Damascus on Tuesday morning as a “message of support” to its northern neighbor, the first by its national carrier in 13 years.
According to Syrian state media, another plane belonging to Syria's national carrier flew to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, carrying 145 passengers. In the video shared by the Syrian media, people on the plane are shown waving Syrian flags and singing nationalist songs.
Syria's new Islamist leaders have vowed to convene a committee to draft an inclusive constitution for the country. They called on civil servants to return to work to activate the machinery of government and insisted that Syria no longer poses any threat to its neighbours.
However, the country remains under a number of international sanctions imposed during Mr. Al-Assad's regime. The new interim government is led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which has been blacklisted as a terrorist group by many countries due to its past ties to al-Qaeda, although it split from the group a few years ago.
Western leaders have responded to the new administration with a mix of optimism and caution, wary of what Hayat Tahrir al-Sham might be. to apply The country is dominated by Islamists or creates a new wave of internal turmoil. They called for an inclusive political transition.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said during her visit to Damascus last week: “Europe will support, but Europe will not be the patron of new Islamist structures.”
Sanctions are one of the biggest obstacles facing Syria's new administration as it tries to chart a path forward. Like Mr. Assad ran away One of the first demands of Ahmed al-Shara, the leader of the rebel coalition that overthrew the country's government in December, was that the United States and others begin easing restrictions.
Biden administration on Monday was raised Some restrictions on humanitarian aid to Syria. However, he kept tough sanctions in place, reflecting how Western governments carefully regulate their approach to new leaders.
Syria's new foreign minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, welcomed the Biden administration's decision to ease restrictions. Mr. al-Shibani and other newly minted Syrian officials have been on a regional trip to reassure Arab states wary of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham's rise. United Arab Emirates.
At a news conference in Jordan on Tuesday after a meeting with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, he called for the immediate lifting of the remaining sanctions, saying Mr Assad's ouster had removed any reason to keep them in place.
Mr. al-Shibani said: “These economic sanctions are now being applied against the Syrian people. “They should have been canceled as soon as the previous regime was overthrown.”
Mr. Safadi said that Syria and Jordan have agreed to establish a joint commission to address security issues along their shared border. Jordan has long expressed concern about arms and drug smuggling from Syria. captagonan illegal stimulant sold illegally by Mr. Al-Assad's cronies.
Mr. al-Shibani has promised that the new Syrian government will end captagon smuggling, which analysts say has poured huge profits into the coffers of senior officials in Mr. Assad's government.
The threat of smuggling “will not return and we are ready to cooperate intensively on this issue,” Mr. al-Shibani said.