French diplomats to Syria, Qatar reopens embassy there after thirteen years

Qatar reopens the Qatari embassy in Syria on Tuesday after more than thirteen years. It is a response to the fall of President Assad.

The embassy had been closed since mid-2011 in response to a series of crackdowns on demonstrations by Assad’s security forces. Several people were killed. A civil war has been raging in the country since 2012.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the decision was taken in support of the Syrian people and their “struggle to achieve their legitimate rights to a dignified life.”

Russia, a loyal ally of Assad, evacuated some of the embassy staff yesterday. The military aircraft used for this also included North Korean and Belarusian diplomats. The Russian Foreign Ministry reports that “the work of the Russian embassy in Damascus continues.” Belarus now has no diplomats in Syria, according to the Russian state news agency RIA.

Many other countries that closed their embassies in 2012 believe it is still too early to reopen them. Most countries in the European Union said they welcomed the fall of the Assad regime, but it remains to be determined whether and how they can cooperate with the rebels now in power.

A team of French diplomats will travel to Syria on Tuesday. According to the French Foreign Ministry, this is “to demonstrate France’s willingness to support the Syrian people.”

The United Kingdom said yesterday that it has had diplomatic contact with rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which took power in much of Syria more than a week ago. The group is on the terrorist list in many countries. Leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has lately been more pragmatic, but what his intentions are for the country is still unclear.

“HTS remains a proscribed organisation, but we can have diplomatic contact and so we have diplomatic contact as you would expect,” British Foreign Secretary Lammy said.

It was previously known that American diplomats are also holding talks with HTS. The group has been on the terrorist list in the US since 2018. However, several American senators and government sources who spoke to American media say it is still too early to say whether the talks will yield anything.

UN envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen spoke to al-Sharaa for the first time yesterday. Pedersen called, among other things, for an end to international sanctions against the country.