DAMASCUS: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has expressed Qatar's welcome to the positive steps taken by the new Syrian administration to maintain the safety of civilians, the stability of state institutions, and ensure the continuity of public services, noting that HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will visit the sisterly Syrian Arab Republic soon.
During a joint press conference with HE Ahmed Al-Shara, Commander-in-Chief of the New Syrian Administration in the capital, Damascus, the prime minister conveyed the greetings of His Highness the Amir to the brotherly Syrian people, and His Highness’s congratulations to them on the victory of the Syrian revolution.
He expressed his great happiness to be in Damascus and to resume Qatari-Syrian relations after a hiatus of about 13 years, stressing the State of Qatar's continued support for the brotherly Syrian people.
The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said, "Our meeting today comes as we are on the cusp of a new phase in the history of Syria, and working to rebuild, develop, and preserve its stability," noting that the State of Qatar extends its hand to the Syrian brothers to achieve a future partnership that benefits the two brotherly peoples.
He added that "over the past years, a large part of the Syrian people have been displaced and sought refuge in many countries, while today we see that there is a new breath in Syria, and we hope for your participation in building the state and the return of refugees to it," indicating that the needs of the Syrian people today represented by the continued provision of public services are essential needs, stressing the State of Qatar's support for Syria.
During the press conference, he pledged that the State of Qatar would provide the necessary technical support to re-operate the infrastructure, pointing out that support would be provided to the electricity sector through an agreement that includes supplying 200 megawatts of energy, and gradually increasing it to more than 10 Syrian regions.
He stressed that "the humanitarian situation in Syria requires the concerted efforts of the international community, the continued provision of the necessary support, and the need to consider lifting the sanctions imposed on Syria as quickly as possible, due to their negative effects on the growth of this support by countries," stressing that the Israeli occupation's seizure of the buffer zones is a "reckless and condemnable act, and it must withdraw immediately."
He noted that the State of Qatar will always stand by the Syrian people in their quest for peace and justice, stressing Qatar's permanent readiness to cooperate with the new Syrian administration on various international issues, most notably lifting sanctions.
He pointed out that the meeting with the head of the new Syrian administration was an opportunity to discuss many topics, the most important of which was strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, and building a new phase full of development for the two brotherly peoples, explaining that there was discussion about a number of ideas and projects that could benefit the peoples of the two countries, in addition to discussing developments in the international arena, and how to work and provide the necessary support to the new Syrian administration to lift sanctions on Syria, and facilitate the work of other economic institutions and entities.
Regarding the Qatari role in Syria, the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, said, “This role is a moral and humanitarian duty towards our brothers in Syria, and no one has any privilege in that,” noting that His Highness the Amir of the country always emphasizes the State of Qatar’s support for all brotherly peoples.
He continued, saying, "We are now in a new phase... a phase of building, developing and growing sectors between the two countries and cooperation in them," pointing to the State of Qatar's openness to cooperation with Syria during the coming period, "as we will witness a lot of momentum in Qatari-Syrian projects, and we will see a future for relations between Qatari and Syrian businessmen in the near future."
For his part, Al-Shara confirmed that the meeting with HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, addressed many political and economic aspects and discussed the future of the region.
He stated that during the meeting, the strategic economic partnerships between Damascus and Doha in the coming days were discussed, appreciating the State of Qatar's continuous support for the Syrian people and its great efforts to develop Syria.
He said during the press conference, "The State of Qatar contributed to helping the Syrian people during their ordeal that lasted for about 14 years, and was always on the side of the Syrian people, and held out until the last moment, until the Syrian people triumphed over the tyrannical regime."
Regarding the Israeli advance in the buffer zone, the commander-in-chief of the new administration in Syria explained that Israel made excuses for the presence of Iranian militias and militias affiliated with Hezbollah, indicating that after the liberation of Damascus there is no presence of these militias.
He pointed out that since the first moments of the Israeli advance, the new Syrian administration has been communicating and talking with various international parties to confirm Syria's commitment to the 1974 agreement, stressing Syria's readiness and preparedness to receive the UN forces and bring them into the region and work to protect them, until the situation returns to what it was before the Israeli advance.
During the press conference, Al-Shara noted the State of Qatar’s condemnation of this Israeli advance, and its active efforts to form a pressure opinion against it, through coordination and cooperation with Western and regional countries, pointing out that there is a consensus on the mistake of the Israeli advance into the buffer zone, and the necessity of returning to the previous situation.
