On January 12 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a notable meeting is taking place among foreign ministers and diplomats from Western and Middle Eastern countries with Syria's newly appointed foreign minister, Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani. This marks the first regional gathering focused on Syria since President Bashar al-Assad was ousted on December 8, following a swift rebel offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which subsequently formed a caretaker government.
Among the attendees, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and British Foreign Minister David Lammy are confirmed, along with representatives from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Türkiye. The meeting also includes officials from the European Union and the United States, emphasizing a collective effort to discuss the future of Syrian governance and humanitarian issues.
The agenda for the discussions is largely Arab-led and aims to establish actionable strategies for international support toward the interim authorities in Syria. A significant point of focus will be the methods to hold the Assad regime accountable for the extensive war crimes committed against the Syrian populace throughout the ongoing conflict.
9 Comments
Rotfront
Engaging with people who have committed atrocities just sends the wrong message to the world.
Matzomaster
No real change can come from engaging with a dictator. This is merely a political charade!
Karamba
The fact that the international community is discussing a government led by Assad is extremely concerning.
Matzomaster
This meeting feels more like an appeasement strategy for Assad than any genuine concern for the Syrian people.
Rotfront
I can’t believe Western diplomats are sitting down with a regime responsible for killing thousands. What a betrayal!
Raphael
Talking about strategies for interim authorities? What about justice for the millions affected by the Assad regime?
Donatello
I doubt anything productive will come from this meeting. History shows that Assad only understands brute force.
Michelangelo
This is a massive step backward for human rights. Assad should be held to account, not validated.
Eric Cartman
Inviting Assad's representatives to the table only sends a message that war crimes are acceptable.