Politics Ukraine and Syria resume relations
Ukraine and Syria want to establish a "strategic partnership" after years of diplomatic ice age.
30.12.2024, 13:36
SDA
There will be relations on a political, economic and social level, said Asaad al-Shaybani, Syria's foreign minister in the new transitional government, after a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Sybiha.
The Syrian de facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa also took part in the meeting in the Syrian capital. He is the leader of the Islamist insurgents who overthrew the head of state Bashar al-Assad. Assad had close ties to Russia for many years, where he also found refuge weeks ago.
Sybiha assured Syria of support. Trucks with 500 tons of Ukrainian flour are due to arrive in Syria as early as Wednesday, he said.
In return, Kiev assumes that the new leadership under the leadership of the Islamists will abide by international law and reverse the recognition of the Russian annexation of Ukrainian territories, which was carried out under Syria's ousted ruler al-Assad in violation of international law. He recalled that both Syria and Ukraine had suffered at the hands of Russia and Iran.
Diplomatic relations between Syria and Ukraine were broken off in 2022. This was triggered, among other things, by Syria's recognition of the separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent states.
During Assad's rule, Russia was Syria's most important protecting power. Not least thanks to the Russian military operation, he and his supporters managed to control around two thirds of the country until his overthrow. The Russian government recently distanced itself from the ousted Assad.
