After several years without diplomatic relations, Morocco and Syria resumed contact a few weeks after the fall of the Bashar Al-Assad regime.
The Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nasser Bourita, opened a channel of communication with his Syrian counterpart, Asaad Al-Shaibani, to whom he expressed his wish to discuss ways to strengthen relations between the two nations.
According to an official Syrian statement, Bourita reiterated during this interview Rabat’s support for the Syrian people, emphasizing respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of this country.. The Moroccan minister also highlighted the commonalities between the two nations and the importance of strengthening diplomatic relations for mutual benefit.
Shortly after Syrian rebels led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took power, putting an end to the Al-Assad regime after decades in power and completely changing the course of the country, Bourita conveyed the position of Morocco on the new situation in the Arab nation, noting that the Kingdom hopes that this new landscape will bring stability in Syria.
“Morocco has closely followed the important and rapid developments in Syria”Bourita emphasized during a press conference at the time, referring to the HTS lightning offensive that culminated with the fall of Al-Assad and the capture of Damascus by the insurgents.
The head of Moroccan diplomacy recalled Morocco’s constant position in favor of the territorial integrity of Syria, its national sovereignty and the unity of its people. He expressed hope that new developments would meet “to the aspirations of its people and pave the way for a better future and the development of the country”.
Morocco, like many other countries, decided to close its embassy in Damascus at the start of the civil war following repression and violence against civilians by the Syrian government, calling for firm measures to achieve a political transition towards a democratic framework that would ensure the stability of Syria.
During the Syrian civil war, Morocco aligned itself with the interests of Western countries and some Gulf countries in opposition to the regime of President Al-Assad. However, unlike other nations, Rabat limited itself to a mainly diplomatic and humanitarian rolerather than military.
Rabat has provided diplomatic support to the opposition and supported international efforts to resolve the conflict, without getting directly involved in the fighting as other countries have done. Morocco has also played an essential humanitarian role.
Throughout the years of the Syrian conflict, Morocco sent humanitarian aid to refugeesboth inside Syria and in neighboring countries, through non-governmental organizations and international cooperation.
