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Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Mohamed said on Wednesday that the UAE “presents a successful regional model to be emulated” amid a battle for control in Syria, after the fall of Bashar Al Assad.
Hayat Tahrir Al Sham may have established itself as the leading authority in Damascus, but the situation remains far from certain with Turkish-backed rebels advancing across north-eastern Syria attempting to take territory controlled by US-backed Kurdish militias.
However, Dr Gargash said that the UAE will never be a nation telling “anyone what to do” and that the country’s years of success amount to a message “stronger than any slogans or ideologies”.
“In a region rife with conflicts, the UAE does not dictate to anyone what to do, but rather presents a successful regional model to be emulated,” Dr Gargash wrote on X. “More than five decades of stability, justice and prosperity, a towering edifice stronger than any slogans or ideologies.”
“Our achievements speak for us, and our message is honest and clear,” he added.
'A major failure in politics and policy'
It comes after comments he made at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain on Sunday, where he warned that Syria could struggle to keep its status as a sovereign nation.
Speaking after Mr Al Assad boarded a plane from Damascus to Moscow, he said: “There was a major failure in politics and policy because Assad didn't use the lifeline that was thrown to him by various Arab countries, including the UAE, and overtures to open to Turkey.
“We gave him advice. The collapse of the regime is in part due to political failure. There is a real concern about Syria holding itself as a sovereign country. Where Bashar Al Assad goes is a footnote in history. The main concern for us is really the territorial integrity of Syria.”
Syria finds itself in a complex situation after more than 13 years of war, with an array of opposition groups grappling for power. Future challenges over the division of control among new government structures also remain.
In his closing remarks on Sunday, Dr Gargash added that “violence is devastating lives” in conflicts across the Middle East, stressing that it was vital to prevent non-state actors from going unchecked.
