Bahrain Announces Continuation of Its Embassy Activities in Syria

One day after the United Arab Emirates' decision to reopen its embassy in Damascus, the Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced the continuation of the activities of Bahrain and Syria's representations in each other's territories, as well as the ongoing flight operations between the two countries "without any disruption." In a brief statement released on Friday, January 7, the Bahraini Foreign Ministry stated that without mentioning the status of the embassies of Bahrain and Syria during the seven-year Syrian civil war, it only referred to the continuation of these representations' activities. It is also unclear whether the flight operations between the two countries, which are now said to be "without disruption," continued during the Syrian civil war or, if there were disruptions, when they resumed. Throughout the seven years of the Syrian civil war, Bahrain aligned its positions with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and since 2011, Syria's relations with Arab countries, especially after the suspension of its membership in the Arab League, have been very cold. However, in September of this year, when the foreign ministers of the two countries met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, the Bahraini foreign minister emphasized that he had met secretly with his Syrian counterpart several times during the years of the Syrian civil war. In the Bahraini Foreign Ministry's statement, the continuation of this country's relations with Syria and what has been described as "the importance of strengthening and activating the Arab role to preserve the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Syria" was emphasized, as well as the need to prevent "the dangers of regional interference in internal affairs and the progress of Syria." A similar position was expressed on Thursday by the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. Anwar Gargash, hours after the announcement of the reopening of the UAE embassy in Damascus, emphasized the necessity of "the Arab countries' role in Syria to counter the influence of Iran and Turkey." Meanwhile, some Arab media outlets have reported, citing sources in the Syrian government, that the Kuwaiti government has decided to reopen its embassy in Damascus. These reports indicate Kuwait's decision to resume its representation activities in the coming weeks. So far, none of the official sources from either country have confirmed or denied this news.