Gulf Countries Call for ‘Reconsidering’ Sanctions on Syria

Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali al-Yahya (L), Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani (C) and Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi (R) attend a press conference after their meeting in Damascus, Syria, 30 December 2024. (EPA)
Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali al-Yahya (L), Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani (C) and Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi (R) attend a press conference after their meeting in Damascus, Syria, 30 December 2024. (EPA)
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Gulf Countries Call for ‘Reconsidering’ Sanctions on Syria

Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali al-Yahya (L), Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani (C) and Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi (R) attend a press conference after their meeting in Damascus, Syria, 30 December 2024. (EPA)
Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali al-Yahya (L), Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani (C) and Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi (R) attend a press conference after their meeting in Damascus, Syria, 30 December 2024. (EPA)

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya called from Damascus on Monday for lifting international sanctions off Syria following the downfall of Bashar al-Assad.

He and Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi met with head of the new Syrian administration Ahmed al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani.

The GCC countries stand in solidarity with Syria and are committed to its security and territorial integrity, he added, calling on the international community to "reconsider" sanctions in it.

He also said Kuwait's leadership also appealed for aid to be sent to Syria urgently.

"The visit expresses our keenness on opening a new page of regional cooperation...we also value the responsiveness of the new administration in Syria to these efforts," he said.

Shibani urged Kuwait to reopen its embassy in Damascus and resume relations with Syria.

"We call with all love and joy on brothers in Kuwait to open their embassy in Damascus and resume diplomatic relations very soon," he said during a joint press conference.

For his part, Albudaiwi condemned the Israeli violations against Syria and its settlement expansion in the occupied Golan Heights.

"The GGC countries are serious about supporting Syria and its people," he added.

"The Israeli attacks are a flagrant violation of international laws, and we call on Israel to withdraw from the occupied Syrian territories," he urged.

Moreover, he said the GCC supports "everything that bolsters Lebanon and Syria’s security and stability."



Saudi Foreign Minister Meets US Envoy to Lebanon

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
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Saudi Foreign Minister Meets US Envoy to Lebanon

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah met on Sunday with the US Envoy to Lebanon Amos Hochstein at the ministry's headquarters in Riyadh.
During the meeting, they discussed key regional issues, with a particular focus on the evolving situation in Lebanon and the ongoing efforts to address these developments, the Saudi Press Agency said on Sunday.
The meeting was attended by the Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on Lebanese Affairs, Prince Yazid bin Mohammed bin Fahd Al Farhan.