Syrian President Assad visits the Emirates again

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad returned to the United Arab Emirates after his visit to Russia. President Mohammed bin Sajid received Assad and his wife Asmaa at Abu Dhabi airport on Sunday, state news agency WAM said. Assad was then greeted with military honors at the presidential palace in the Emirati capital. The two had “positive and constructive” talks, bin Sajid wrote on Twitter.

The rulers of Syria rarely appear in public. Since the outbreak of the civil war in Syria in 2011, he officially traveled alone to the allied countries of Russia and Iran until last year. Syria’s membership of the Arab League was suspended after government forces violently cracked down on protests in the country.

The Emirates have been trying to get closer to Syria for some time. Assad traveled there in March 2022. After the massive earthquakes of February 6 in Turkey and Syria, the internationally isolated ruler received a lot of support from the region. The disaster gave him the opportunity to partially return to the diplomatic scene. Two weeks after the earthquake, he traveled to Oman. The country is promoting Syria’s return to the Arab League.

A few days ago, he also traveled to Russia again to see President Vladimir Putin. Russia is Assad’s main ally in the Syrian civil war. (sda/dpa)