Syria’s new Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani arrived in Doha, the capital of Qatar, on Sunday, his first visit to the Gulf state.
Al-Shaibani arrived accompanied by Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and Intelligence Chief Anas Khattab, Syria’s state news agency SANA reported.
This is the first official visit by an official from the new Syrian administration to Qatar since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last month to discuss possibilities for cooperation between the two countries.
After his first foreign visit to Saudi Arabia, Al-Shaibani announced on Friday visits to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
Qatar is among the first countries to express support for Damascus since the fall of the Assad regime.
On Saturday, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Khulaifi spoke by phone with Al-Shaibani to discuss ways to improve cooperation between Doha and Damascus.
Khulaifi visited Damascus on December 23, where he discussed ways to strengthen relations and support Syria’s future with the head of the new Syrian administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
