UAE’s Gargash Says Syria Events Reflect Political Failure

Opposition fighters and people celebrate in Homs after Syria's army command notified officers on Sunday that President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year authoritarian rule has ended, Homs, Syria December 8, 2024. (Reuters)
Opposition fighters and people celebrate in Homs after Syria's army command notified officers on Sunday that President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year authoritarian rule has ended, Homs, Syria December 8, 2024. (Reuters)
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UAE’s Gargash Says Syria Events Reflect Political Failure

Opposition fighters and people celebrate in Homs after Syria's army command notified officers on Sunday that President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year authoritarian rule has ended, Homs, Syria December 8, 2024. (Reuters)
Opposition fighters and people celebrate in Homs after Syria's army command notified officers on Sunday that President Bashar al-Assad's 24-year authoritarian rule has ended, Homs, Syria December 8, 2024. (Reuters)

Non-state actors should not be allowed the opportunity to exploit political vacuums, the United Arab Emirates diplomatic advisor to the president said on Sunday shortly after Syrian opposition factions declared the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Damascus.  

"Unfolding events in Syria are also a clear indication of political failure and the destructive nature of conflict and chaos," Anwar Gargash told the Manama Dialogue security forum in the Bahraini capital in the first official comments from the UAE on the matter.  

Syria's regime has fallen after opposition fighters entered Damascus following a stunning advance and a Syrian opposition war monitor reported that Assad had left the country.  

Rami Abdurrahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition group, said Assad took a flight from Damascus and left early Sunday.

Asked if Assad was heading to the UAE, Gargash said: "When people ask where is Bashar al-Assad going to, I say, you know, when you really look at this, this is really at the end of the day a footnote in history. I’m reminded a little bit by Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1918 when he went into a long exile."

He added: "But I don’t think when you look at that period, this is really critical."



GCC-Central Asia Strategic Dialogue Focuses on Strengthening Cooperation

The Third Ministerial Meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council-Central Asia Strategic Dialogue held in Kuwait. Photo: KUNA
The Third Ministerial Meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council-Central Asia Strategic Dialogue held in Kuwait. Photo: KUNA
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GCC-Central Asia Strategic Dialogue Focuses on Strengthening Cooperation

The Third Ministerial Meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council-Central Asia Strategic Dialogue held in Kuwait. Photo: KUNA
The Third Ministerial Meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council-Central Asia Strategic Dialogue held in Kuwait. Photo: KUNA

Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers and their counterparts from Central Asia discussed in Kuwait on Wednesday consolidating cooperation in several fields.

The Third Ministerial Meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council-Central Asia Strategic Dialogue focused on enhancing the strong relations between the GCC and Central Asian countries and discussed a joint action plan to advance cooperation in the political, economic, cultural, and tourism sectors.
Preparations were also reviewed for the upcoming summit between the GCC and Central Asian countries, scheduled to take place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, next month. This summit follows the inaugural one held in Saudi Arabia in 2023.

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah attended the meeting.

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya said the meeting marks a significant milestone in establishing a sustainable partnership based on mutual respect and shared interests.

Speaking at a joint press conference with GCC Secretary-General Jassem Al-Budaiwi after the meeting, Al-Yahya, current President of the GCC Ministerial Council, highlighted the growing historical, cultural, and human ties between the two regions, and emphasized the shared political will to strengthen strategic cooperation.

The meeting focused on several key areas of priority, including enhancing economic and trade cooperation, encouraging investment, and developing sectors such as transport and energy, clean energy transitions, green economies, and modern technologies, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.

Discussions also focused on food and water security, digital infrastructure, and artificial intelligence, aiming to support stability and sustainable development.

On political and security matters, the foreign minister stressed the importance of consultation and coordination on shared challenges, especially in combating terrorism, extremism, and cyber threats, and praised the GCC Secretariat for its role in advancing joint action mechanisms.

Regarding regional and international issues, Al-Yahya reaffirmed the GCC's steadfast support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent state based on the 1967 border with East Jerusalem as its capital.

On his part, Al-Budaiwi said that both the GCC and Central Asian states are committed to advancing cooperation across various sectors, as outlined in the Joint Action Plan for 2023-27.

He stated that the meeting included an exchange of views on regional and global developments, particularly the Israeli occupation's violations against the Palestinian people, and reiterated the GCC's rejection of these violations and called on the international community to act decisively in support of Palestinian rights, including the establishment of a sovereign state.