Jordan offers Syria support in meeting with new leader

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FILE PHOTO: Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi meets with Syria's de facto new ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria in this handout released December 23, 2024. Jordanian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

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FILE PHOTO: Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi meets with Syria's de facto new ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus, Syria in this handout released December 23, 2024. Jordanian Foreign Ministry/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

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UPDATED Dec 23, 2024, 06:52 PM

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DAMASCUS - Jordan stands ready to help Syria rebuild, its foreign minister said after meeting Syria's new de facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on Monday, the highest-level contact by an Arab state with Syria's new Islamist-led administration.

Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed Al-Khulaifi also arrived in Damascus on Monday for meetings aboard the first Qatar Airways flight to land in the Syrian capital since former President Bashar al-Assad was toppled, the Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on X.

The meetings further widen the diplomatic contacts of the new administration established after Sharaa's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, a former Al Qaeda affiliate, led a decisive rebel offensive that overthrew Assad after more than 13 years of war.

Sharaa, also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, wore a suit and tie during the meeting with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi, photos posted on social media by the Jordanian Foreign Ministry showed.

"Our talks were clear that we in the Kingdom are ready to provide support," he said after the meeting, adding that the new Syrian administration must have the opportunity to develop its plans. "I focused on reconstruction efforts and Jordan will provide aid," Safadi added.

Syria's stability is a key security concern for Jordan, a U.S. allied Arab state which borders the country to the south.

Sharaa, who met with senior U.S. diplomats last week, severed ties with Al Qaeda in 2016. He has said his primary focus is on reconstruction and achieving economic development and that he is not interested in engaging in any new conflicts.

Safadi said: “I am here in Damascus to say we are ready to help our Syrian brothers.” REUTERS

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