More Arab countries to reopen embassies in Damascus in coming days: Kuwait

Kuwait says it expects more Arab countries to reopen diplomatic missions in Damascus in “coming days” amid promising signs that the incumbent Damascus government led by President Bashar al-Assad is being admitted back into the Arab world.

News ID: 442769

Date: 01 January 2019 - 13:50

RNA - Kuwait’s official news agency KUNA broke the news on Monday, but added that the move would need a green light from the 22-member Arab League.

Kuwait's Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled al-Jarallah said the Persian Gulf kingdom remains committed to the Arab League's decision, and would reopen its embassy in the Syrian capital once the regional organization consents to it.

Jarallah expected a “thaw in relations between Syria and Arab states of the Persian Gulf in the coming days as more nations look to reopen their embassies in Damascus.”

Arab League's permanent representatives are due to meet in the Egyptian capital city of Cairo on January 6.

The Arab League suspended Syria's membership in November 2011, citing alleged crackdown by Damascus on opposition protests. Syria has denounced the move as "illegal and a violation of the organization’s charter.”

On Friday, Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry announced in a statement that work at the kingdom’s embassy “in the Syrian Arab Republic is going on whilst the Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic to the Kingdom of Bahrain is carrying out its duties and flights connecting the two countries are operational without interruption.”

Foreign Ministry: Work continuing at Bahrain’s embassy in Syria https://t.co/wWpxCEgFdr

— Bahrain News Agency (@bna_en) December 28, 2018

The statement also affirmed “the Kingdom’s keenness on the continuity of its relations with the Syrian Arab Republic and stresses the significance of enhancing and activating the Arab role in order to maintain Syria's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity and avert the hazards of regional interference in its internal affairs and progress.”

It came a day after the United Arab Emirates officially reopened its embassy in Damascus.

The Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the reopening of its embassy “reaffirms the keenness of the United Arab Emirates to restore relations between the two friendly countries to their normal course.”

The move “will strengthen and activate the Arab role in supporting the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic and to prevent the dangers of regional interference in Syrian Arab affairs,” the ministry pointed out.

On December 16, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir became the first Arab League leader to visit Damascus.

According to Press TV, Syria's official news agency SANA said Bashir was greeted by his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad upon arrival at Damascus International Airport, before they both headed to the presidential palace.

The two leaders discussed bilateral ties and the "situations and crises faced by many Arab countries," the Syrian presidency said in a statement.

SANA quoted the Sudanese leader as saying during the meeting that he hoped Syria will recover its important role in the region as soon as possible.

He also affirmed Khartoum’s readiness to provide all it can to support Syria's territorial integrity.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country.

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