Under the title "Abdullah bin Zayed Arrives in Damascus on a 'Qualitative' Visit to Syria," the Emirati news site "Al Ain" reported that Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, arrived today at Damascus International Airport. According to "Al Ain," Sheikh Abdullah was welcomed by Syrian Foreign Minister Dr. Faisal Mekdad.
This marks the first visit by an Emirati official of this level to Syria in 10 years. On October 20, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, received a phone call from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. During the call, the two leaders discussed the relations between their countries and ways to enhance mutual cooperation across various fields for their mutual interests.
The call also addressed the developments in Syria and the Middle East, in addition to various issues and topics of mutual interest. In March, Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan called for Syria's return to occupy its seat in the Arab League. He stated during a press conference in Abu Dhabi with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, that an important role in this return is for Syria to rejoin the Arab League, which requires efforts from both sides, including "colleagues in the Arab League."
He emphasized that this is in the interest of the general public, namely the interests of Syria and the region, noting that there are "annoyances" among different parties, but the focus should be on bringing Syria back to its surroundings. On October 10, the two countries announced an agreement on future plans to enhance economic cooperation and explore new sectors in the upcoming phase. The UAE also reopened its embassy in the capital, Damascus, in December 2018, after having closed it seven years prior in 2011 due to the protests in Syria.
