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Saudi FM Expresses Gratitude to Serbia for Supporting Kingdom’s Bid to Host Expo 2030

The Saudi and Serbian foreign ministers speak at a press conference in Belgrade. (SPA)
The Saudi and Serbian foreign ministers speak at a press conference in Belgrade. (SPA)
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Saudi FM Expresses Gratitude to Serbia for Supporting Kingdom’s Bid to Host Expo 2030

The Saudi and Serbian foreign ministers speak at a press conference in Belgrade. (SPA)
The Saudi and Serbian foreign ministers speak at a press conference in Belgrade. (SPA)

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah expressed on Wednesday the Kingdom’s gratitude to Serbia for its support to the Kingdom’s bid to host Expo 2030.

Prince Faisal held talks with his Serbian counterpart Nikola Selaković in Belgrade at the conclusion of an official visit to the country.

Prince Faisal said the Kingdom was seeking to deepen ties with Serbia.

He also stressed that Riyadh supports all regional and international efforts aimed at peacefully resolving the Russian-Ukrainian crisis to ease its economic impact on the world and global energy supplies.

He hailed the trade exchange between the Kingdom and Serbia in 2021, which witnessed a marked increase from 2020.

They discussed the possibility of increasing investments in all sectors as part of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

For his part, Selaković praised Prince Faisal’s visit, noting that it was the first bilateral trip by a Saudi foreign minister since relations were established between their countries some ten years ago.

He said Belgrade was keen on bolstering ties with Riyadh, most notably since the Kingdom has been witnessing remarkable development under Vision 2030 that is spearheaded by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

He described the development as unique, highlighting Saudi Arabia’s role as an active member of the G20 and its aspiration to become one of the top ten global economies by 2030.

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Syria's New Rulers Urge US to Lift Sanctions During Visit to Doha

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, meets Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, January 5, 2025. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, meets Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, January 5, 2025. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)
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Syria's New Rulers Urge US to Lift Sanctions During Visit to Doha

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, meets Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, January 5, 2025. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, meets Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, Qatar, January 5, 2025. (SANA/Handout via Reuters)

Syria's new rulers said on Sunday that US sanctions on Syria were an obstacle to the war-torn country's rapid recovery and urged Washington to lift them during a visit by Syrian officials to Qatar.

"These sanctions constitute a barrier and an obstacle to the rapid recovery and development of the Syrian people who await services and partnerships from other countries," Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani told reporters after meeting with Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who also serves as foreign minister.

"We reiterate our calls for the United States to lift these sanctions, which have now become against the Syrian people rather than what they previously were: imposed sanctions on the Assad regime," he said.

Shibani, on his second foreign trip less than a month after former President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by opposition factions on Dec. 8, said that Qatar will be a partner in the new phase in Syria.

Doha had not normalized ties with Assad over his government's violent response to 2011 protests and backed the opposition instead.

Shibani, who was joined by Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and Head of Intelligence Anas Khattab, met with other senior Qatari officials including Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, a Qatari official told Reuters earlier.

Shibani presented the Qataris a clear roadmap for the near future in Syria and steps that would be taken by the new Syrian administration, Al-Khulaifi told reporters after the meeting.

"We are working together to prevent any foreign interference in Syrian affairs," Al-Khulaifi added.

Shibani said the roadmap is meant to "rebuild our country, restore its Arab and foreign relations, enable the Syrian people to obtain their civil and basic rights, and present a government that the Syrian people feel it represents them and all their components."

He is expected to also visit the United Arab Emirates and Jordan this week to "support stability, security, economic recovery and build distinguished partnerships," according to his account on X.

Shibani embarked on his first foreign trip to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday where Saudi officials discussed how best to support Syria's political transition.