UAE top diplomat on first Syria visit in over a decade

The United Arab Emirates' foreign minister met Syria's President Bashar Assad in capital Damascus on Tuesday for bilateral talks, the Syrian presidency said.

It is the first such visit by a top UAE official to Syria since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war 10 years ago.

During the meeting, Assad and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed discussed ways of developing cooperation as well as investment opportunities, according to Assad's office.

Zayed stressed the "UAE's support for all efforts made to end the Syrian crisis, consolidate stability in the country, and meet the aspirations of the brotherly Syrian people," UAE's state news agency WAM said.

How close are Syria and the UAE?

Syria and the oil-rich Gulf state broke ties in February 2012 as the repression of nationwide protests demanding regime change escalated into a devastating war. And Assad accused most Arab states of backing rebels trying to overthrow him. 

But recently, frosty relations between the two countries appear to be thawing.

In December, 2018, the Gulf state reopened its embassy in Damascus.

This was followed by the UAE's calling in March for Syria to return to the Arab League. The UAE had been a key backer of Syria's suspension from the pan-Arab body in November 2011.

Last month, the UAE's Economy Ministry said it agreed with Syria on "future plans to enhance economic cooperation and explore new sectors."

A statement by the ministry said that the UAE is Syria's most prominent global trade partner, with a 14% share in Syria's foreign trade.

Last month, the UAE's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed received a telephone call from Assad in which they discussed strengthening relations and cooperation.

Are attitudes toward Assad in the region changing?

The UAE is not the only country restarting relations with Syria's formerly ostracized government.

In September, Assad called King Abdullah II of Jordan for the first time since the start of Syria's conflict. The two countries had reopened a major border crossing between them earlier that month.

Egypt, which houses the Arab League headquarters, said Tuesday that relations should eventually be restored with Syria — but that Damascus needed to first address concerns such as the humanitarian effects of the war.

"We believe that there necessarily has to be a time when Syria is reintegrated into the Arab fold. But this is in conjunction with policies that the Syrian government will demonstrate," Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on a visit to Washington.

How did the US respond?

Despite US allies in the region signaling potential for restoring relations with Syria, Washington has repeatedly said it does not support efforts to normalise ties with Assad or rehabilitate him until progress is made toward a political solution to the conflict. 

"We are concerned by reports of this meeting and the signal it sends," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.

"This administration will not express any support for efforts to normalize or rehabilitate Bashar al-Assad, who is a brutal dictator," Price said, not referring to him as president.

kmm/fb (AFP, AP, Reuters)