Saudi Foreign Minister's Visit to Syria; Efforts to Lift Sanctions on Damascus

On Friday, January 25, the Saudi Foreign Minister, in his first visit to Damascus since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, announced Riyadh's efforts to lift international sanctions on Damascus. Prince Faisal bin Farhan, during a meeting with Ahmad al-Shara, the leader of the ruling group in Syria, stated that Riyadh is engaged in serious discussions with all relevant countries, including the United States and the European Union, to lift all sanctions imposed on the Syrian people during the Assad family's rule. He emphasized that positive messages have been received in this regard. Ahmad al-Shara also stressed the need to attract investment to expedite the reconstruction of war-torn Syria and expressed the need for assistance from Gulf countries. Experts say this visit represents a fundamental shift in Saudi Arabia's approach to Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime. Before traveling to Damascus, the Saudi Foreign Minister met with new Lebanese officials in Beirut. Messages from heads of state on the occasion of Donald Trump's presidency were also delivered to Damascus. Additionally, it was noted that the Islamic Republic of Iran and Hezbollah are no longer present in Syria, and the High Commissioner for Human Rights called for 'national reconciliation' during a visit to Syria. European Union ministers are scheduled to discuss the reduction of sanctions on Syria on February 1.