Asad travels to the United Arab Emirates on a surprise visit, the first to an Arab country since 2011

The Syrian President, Bashar Al Asad, met this Friday with the Emirati Prime Minister, Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktum, during a surprise visit to United Arab Emirates (UAE), the first to an Arab country since the outbreak of the conflict in Syria in 2011.

Al Maktoum received Al Asad and his accompanying delegation in one of his residences in Dubai, demarcation of which he is emir, a meeting that “It took place within the framework of fraternal relations between both countries”indicated the Syrian Presidency in a statement.

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The meeting was also attended by various senior officials from the Emirates, a country that cut off relations with Damascus between 2012 and 2018 due to its actions in the armed conflict, and the talks focused on bilateral cooperation in economic, trade and investment matters, according to with the note.

The official Emirati news agency WAM confirmed the visit of the Syrian president to the country and added that the leader also met with the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who de facto governs the emirate and is considered the strong man of UAE.

Since Al Asad was re-elected at the polls last May, the Emirates has taken some steps to strengthen its ties with Syria, including a trip to the nation by the Emirati Foreign Minister, Abdullah bin Zayed al Nahyan, who had been in his territory for the last time in May 2011.

In recent months, other countries in the region have made small gestures towards a normalization of relations with Damascus.

Last October, King Abdullah II of Jordan spoke with Al Asad coinciding with the reopening of an important border crossing between the kingdom and southern Syria, while in mid-2021 alleged negotiations took place with Saudi Arabia to reestablish its embassy in Damascus.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the US government has also offered and multiplied its efforts to mediate between the parties, which even included trips to Moscow by its foreign minister.

Syria is one of the countries most firmly aligned with Russia, whose role was key in keeping Al Assad in power after the civil war broke out in that country in 2011.

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Source: Elcomercio

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