Asaad Hassan al-Shibani named overseas minister and Murhaf Abu Qasra defence minister. Each are allies of HTS chief Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Syria’s new rulers have appointed a overseas and defence minister, the official Syrian information company SANA stories, as they search to construct worldwide relations two weeks after Bashar al-Assad was ousted.
The ruling Common Command on Saturday named Asaad Hassan al-Shibani as overseas minister, SANA mentioned. A supply within the new administration instructed the Reuters information company that this step “is available in response to the aspirations of the Syrian individuals to determine worldwide relations that deliver peace and stability”.
Murhaf Abu Qasra was named defence minister within the interim authorities, an official supply instructed Reuters. Abu Qasra, who can also be recognized by the nom de guerre Abu Hassan 600, is a senior determine within the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, which led the opposition forces that pressured out al-Assad.
Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar, reporting from Damascus, mentioned Abu Qasra and al-Shibani have been “very a lot shut” to HTS chief Ahmed al-Sharaa. “That is elevating questions whether or not HTS is forming its personal authorities or Syria’s authorities,” he famous.
“To date, 14 ministers have been appointed, and all of them are shut allies or associates of al-Sharaa.”
Al-Sharaa, Syria’s new de facto ruler, has actively engaged with overseas delegations since assuming energy, together with internet hosting the Syria envoy of the United Nations and senior United States diplomats.
He has mentioned his main focus is on reconstruction and attaining financial improvement and that he’s not fascinated with participating in any new conflicts.
Syrian opposition fighters seized management of Damascus on December 8, forcing President al-Assad to flee after greater than 13 years of warfare and ending his household’s decades-long rule.
Forces underneath the command of al-Sharaa have put in a three-month caretaker authorities.
Washington designated al-Sharaa a “terrorist” in 2013, saying al-Qaeda in Iraq had tasked him with overthrowing al-Assad. US officers mentioned on Friday that Washington would take away a $10m bounty on his head.
The warfare killed tons of of hundreds of individuals, prompted one of many largest refugee crises of recent occasions, and left cities bombed to rubble and the financial system hollowed out by world sanctions.
Qatar opens embassy
Qatar reopened its embassy in Damascus on Saturday, 13 years after it was closed early in Syria’s warfare, as overseas governments search to determine ties with the nation’s new rulers.
Qatar turns into the second nation after Turkiye to formally reopen its embassy since al-Assad fled into exile.
Doha despatched a diplomatic delegation to Damascus a number of days in the past to fulfill with the transitional authorities.
On Tuesday, the European Union mentioned it was able to reopen its diplomatic mission in Damascus.
The French flag was raised over Paris’s embassy in Damascus on Tuesday though the nation’s particular envoy to Syria mentioned the mission would stay closed “so long as safety standards usually are not met”.