RIYADH, 13 Jan. - (ANA) - An Arab-international meeting to discuss the situation for Syria and means of offering support to the country after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad was held in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Sunday.

 

Headed by Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan alongside Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, top diplomats from the Middle East and Europe began their talks as world powers weigh sanctions relief and push for stability after the fall of al-Assad.

 

Top officials such as German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, British Foreign Minister David Lammy, US Under Secretary of State John Bass, European Union’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas and UN special envoy on Syria Geir Pedersen, were all in attendance.

 

The Riyadh Meetings on Syria first kicked off with Arab talks headed by Prince Faisal and that included al-Shaibani as well as top diplomats from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon and Kuwait.

 

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan later joined the talks.

 

The meetings, which according to Al Arabiya correspondent were all closed to the media, then featured the wider international participation.

 

The gatherings in Saudi Arabia take place as Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose forces seized Damascus and toppled longtime ruler al-Assad last month, is pushing for sanctions relief.

 

Western powers, including the United States and the European Union, slapped sanctions on al-Assad’s government over his brutal crackdown on anti-government protests in 2011 that triggered civil war.

 

Speaking to reporters before the meeting, Baerbock said that sanctions against al-Assad allies who “committed serious crimes” during the Syrian civil war must remain in place.

 

She said that Berlin proposed a “smart approach” to sanctions so the Syrian population could get some relief.

 

More than 13 years of conflict in Syria have killed more than half a million people, ravaged the economy, and pushed millions to flee their homes, including to Europe.

 

Kallas said on Friday that the 27-nation bloc could begin lifting sanctions if Syria’s new rulers took steps to form an inclusive government that protects minorities.

 

This month the Kingdom has sent food, shelter and medical supplies to Syria overland and by plane. Riyadh is now negotiating how to support the war-struck country’s transition beyond that.

 

The meetings on Sunday represent a continuation of talks on post-al-Assad Syria held last month in Jordan, a Saudi official said. - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/13 January 2025 - - -