Qatar welcomes Syria’s positive moves; Amir to visit Damascus soon

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani said that Qatar welcomes the new Syrian administration’s positive moves, and that His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will visit the country soon.Addressing a joint press conference with Commander-in-Chief of the New Syrian Administration Ahmed al-Sharaa in the capital Damascus yesterday, HE Sheikh Mohammed said Doha hails measures to ensure the safety of civilians, the stability of state institutions, and the continuity of public services.He conveyed His Highness the Amir’s greetings and congratulations to the Syrian people on their victorious revolution, reiterating Doha’s unrelenting support for Syrians.Expressing delight at being in Damascus and the resumption of Qatar-Syria relations after a 13-year hiatus, HE the Prime Minister said that the meeting coincides Syria being on the cusp of a new phase, working to rebuild, develop, and maintain its stability.He added Doha is reaching out to Syria to build a future partnership for the benefit of the two peoples and to back endeavours to provide sustainable public services to Syrians."Today, a revival is being witnessed in Syria after many of its people were forcibly displaced or sought refuge in many countries over the past years,” said His Excellency, voicing hopes the new administration would engage in the state-building efforts and the return of refugees.Reiterating Qatar’s plans to press on technical support to restore the country’s infrastructure, His Excellency highlighted an agreement under which Qatar would provide 200MW of electricity, and gradually boosting it to more than 10 Syrian regions.Moving to the humanitarian situation, he stressed the need for the international community to join hands to ensure a continued support, and to consider lifting the sanctions imposed on Syria as soon as possible.Meanwhile, His Excellency dismissed the Israeli occupation’s seizure of the buffer zones as reckless and condemnable acts, calling for an immediate withdrawal.Qatar will always stand by the Syrian people in their quest for peace and justice, and will permanently co-operate with the new Syrian administration on various international issues, primarily the lifting of sanctions, His Excellency told the press conference.Speaking about the meeting with al-Sharaa, HE the Prime Minister said the deliberations covered many items, primarily boosting bilateral relations and discussing projects that may open a new era of development for the two peoples.