Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shibani urged the US to lift sanctions on Damascus during a trip to Qatar on Sunday, before visits other countries in the region, including Jordan.
The interim government in Syria is seeking investment and improved relations with the region as it embarks on rebuilding the country's economy and infrastructure, devastated by more than a decade of war.
“These sanctions constitute a barrier and an obstacle to the rapid recovery and development of the Syrian people who await services and partnerships from other countries,” Mr Al Shibani said after meeting Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, who also serves as Foreign Minister.
“We reiterate our calls for the United States to lift these sanctions, which have now become against the Syrian people rather than what they previously were: imposed sanctions on the Assad regime,” he said.
Qatar's Foreign Ministry said its country's leader met Mr Al Shibani in Doha as well as the Syrian Defence Minister, Murhaf Abu Qasra, and the new head of intelligence, Anas Khattab.
Sheikh Mohammed “reiterated the state of Qatar's position in support of Syria's unity, sovereignty and independence", a statement said.
Unlike other Arab countries, Qatar did not restore diplomatic ties with Syria under former president Bashar Al Assad, who was toppled by an 11-day rebel advance that swept through major cities and the capital Damascus in December.
Mr Al Shibani presented Qatar with a clear road map for the future in Syria and steps that would be taken by the interim government, Qatari Minister of State Mohammed Al Khulaifi said.
“We are working together to prevent any foreign interference in Syrian affairs,” Mr Al Khulaifi added.
Mr Al Shibani said the road map is meant to “rebuild our country, restore its Arab and foreign relations, enable the Syrian people to obtain their civil and basic rights and present a government that the Syrian people feel it represents them and all their components”.
On Friday, Mr Al Shibani said he would make official visits to the region this week, days after travelling to Saudi Arabia on his first trip since taking office.
“We look forward to these visits contributing to support stability, security, economic recovery, and building distinguished partnerships," he said on X.
Countries in the region and beyond have reached out to the new Syrian administration led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham chief Ahmad Al Shara since the rebel group, once affiliated with Al Qaeda, took power last month. Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Al Yahya and Jassim Al Budaiwi, Secretary General of the GCC, last week visited Damascus.
In a sign of western support, France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and German Foreign Minister Anna Baerbock met Mr Al Shara in Damascus on Friday, but few details were made public.
Earlier, Mr Al Shibani led a high-ranking delegation to Riyadh, marking the first visit by Syria's new rulers since they ousted Mr Al Assad last month.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan assured Mr Al Shibani of the kingdom's support to ensure security and stability in Syria during their meeting, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said. Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said that he had discussed with Mr Al Shibani how best to support Syria's political transition.
Before the visit, Mr Al Shara told the Saudi-owned TV channel Al Arabiya that the kingdom “will certainly have a large role in Syria's future”, pointing to “a big investment opportunity for all neighbouring countries”.
Last week, during an extraordinary meeting for the ministers of foreign affairs of the GCC in Kuwait, the diplomats urged the lifting of international sanctions on Syria. The US, the EU, Canada and other countries have imposed severe sanctions against the Assad regime.
Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said he had discussed relations between Beirut and Damascus in a phone call with Mr Al Shara on Friday, and that he had received an invitation to visit Syria. Mr Al Shara also affirmed that authorities had taken measures to restore calm along the border, Mr Mikati added.
The Lebanese army said on X that its soldiers had clashed with armed Syrians at the border after the armed forces tried to “close an illegal crossing”. It said five soldiers were wounded.
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
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Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
The years Ramadan fell in May
MATCH INFO
Everton 2 (Tosun 9', Doucoure 93')
Rotherham United 1 (Olosunde 56')
Man of the Match Olosunde (Rotherham)
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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F1 2020 calendar
March 15 - Australia, Melbourne; March 22 - Bahrain, Sakhir; April 5 - Vietnam, Hanoi; April 19 - China, Shanghai; May 3 - Netherlands, Zandvoort; May 20 - Spain, Barcelona; May 24 - Monaco, Monaco; June 7 - Azerbaijan, Baku; June 14 - Canada, Montreal; June 28 - France, Le Castellet; July 5 - Austria, Spielberg; July 19 - Great Britain, Silverstone; August 2 - Hungary, Budapest; August 30 - Belgium, Spa; September 6 - Italy, Monza; September 20 - Singapore, Singapore; September 27 - Russia, Sochi; October 11 - Japan, Suzuka; October 25 - United States, Austin; November 1 - Mexico City, Mexico City; November 15 - Brazil, Sao Paulo; November 29 - Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
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