Saudi Arabia hosts talks on Syria’s future

There will be “two meetings. The first between Arab States. The second between Arab States and other countries“, including France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Turkey and Spain, as well as the United Nations, declared Saturday at theAFP a Saudi official who requested anonymity.

This meeting is being held at a time when the transitional authorities led by the country’s new leader, Ahmad al-Chareh, are calling for a lifting of international sanctions hitting Syria.

Western powers, notably the United States and the European Union, had imposed sanctions on the government of Bashar al-Assad over the repression of popular protests in 2011, which sparked the civil war.

After 13 years of a war that left more than half a million dead, ravaged the economy and forced millions to flee, including to Europe, rebels led by the radical Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the former Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda, ousted Bashar al-Assad from power on December 8.

The transitional government that was installed in the aftermath has since been pushing for the lifting of international sanctions, but many capitals, including Washington, have said they are waiting to see how the new authorities will exercise their power before deciding.

The question of sanctions

The head of European Union diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, declared on Friday that the 27 could “gradually“relax their sanctions”provided that tangible progress is made», particularly on the protection of minorities.

Sunday’s discussions will notably focus on the level of support to be given to the new administration and a possible lifting of sanctions, the Saudi official confirmed.

Saudi Arabia severed ties with Assad’s government in 2012 and then supported rebel groups trying to oust him from power.

But in 2023, Riyadh restored its relations with Syria and worked for the return of Damascus to the Arab League, putting an end to its diplomatic isolation.

The wealthy Gulf kingdom has sent food, shelter and medical aid to Syria this month.

Beyond this aid, Riyadh is now studying ways to support the transition.

«Summit sends message that Saudi Arabia wants to lead regional efforts to support Syria’s reconstruction», Underlines researcher Anna Jacobs, of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

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«But the big question is how much time and resources Saudi Arabia will devote to these efforts, and what is possible as long as many sanctions remain in place“, she added.

«Influence» Saudi

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her Turkish counterpart, Hakan Fidan, confirmed their participation in the meeting in Riyadh, which is a continuation of previous discussions held in December in Jordan, according to the Saudi official.

Outgoing US Deputy Secretary of State John Bass will also attend.

Bass will arrive from Türkiye, where he stressed “the importance of regional stability, preventing Syria from being used as a base for terrorism and ensuring lasting defeat» from the Islamic State jihadist group, according to the State Department.

Saudi Arabia is taking a more cautious stance towards the new Syrian authorities than other countries like Turkey and Qatar, which were the first to reopen their embassies in Damascus, underlines Umer Karim, researcher on Syria at the University of Birmingham.

Nevertheless, Riyadh “observe positively» the new Syrian leaders and explores whether they can bring stability and “control the most extreme elements in their ranks“, he added.

For Anna Jacobs, Sunday’s meeting “gives Riyadh an opportunity to increase its influence with the new Syrian government and cultivate greater influence in a country where Turkey and Qatar now have more influence».