Syrian President’s ‘trendy’ visit

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad holds talks with UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on March 18 in Dubai. (Source: Emirates New Agency/AP)

Besides the conflict Russia-UkraineAnother highlight of the world last week was the surprise visit of the Syrian President to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 18.

This visit is of particular interest due to the following three factors.

first, the visit took place while the world in general and the Middle East in particular had many great changes. Russia, a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, is launching a “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Most especially, this conflict has had a profound impact on the global energy industry, while highlighting the role of Arab oil exporters in the Middle East.

More importantly, besides a few hot spots, the trend of peace and cooperation is gradually dominating in this region. Israel accelerates the normalization of relations with the Arab world, while Iran emphasizes its desire to resume the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with P5+1 countries. Recently, the leaders of Qatar and the UAE met for the first time after the four Arab countries ended the Doha embargo in early 2021.

In that context, Bashar al-Assad’s first visit to an Arab country after 11 years of civil war broke out more or less reflects this trend.

Secondmeeting schedule, discussion content of the President Syria in the UAE also reflects the reality of the two sides’ desire to put aside the past and promote cooperation.

During the visit, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with two senior leaders of Dubai, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has expressed hope that the visit will be “the beginning of peace and stability in Syria and the region”. UAE News Agency WAM said the two sides discussed “issues of mutual concern,” including Syria’s territorial integrity and the withdrawal of foreign forces.

Meanwhile, the Syrian news agency SANA The meeting between the two leaders “discussed bilateral relations and the prospect of expanding the circle of bilateral cooperation, especially in the economic, investment and trade sectors,” said the statement.

According to experts, while the UAE wants to cooperate with Syria to fight Islamic extremism, President Bashar al-Assad wants to find new support when economic cooperation with Russia and Belarus is affected by related sanctions. to Ukraine.

Tuesdaythat is the reaction of the parties involved, especially the US.

Washington is “deeply disappointed and concerned by the apparent attempt to legitimize Mr. Assad,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said. He urged countries to consider their contact with this government, accusing Damascus of “regularly denying many citizens access to humanitarian and security assistance”.

Commenting on this move, Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oklahoma (USA), said that Arab countries “assume that the US does not consider its interests properly”.

Saudi Arabia has rejected a request by the Joe Biden administration to increase oil production and the UAE’s hosting of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is a way of showing its attitude to Washington.

In addition, the Muslim countries of the Middle East do not seem to oppose this visit. Because, the UAE does not seem to be alone in its efforts to reset relations with Syria.

According to professor Khattar Abou Diab at the University of Paris (France), Egypt, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Algeria seem to want to restore relations with Syria soon. In addition, Mr. Diab said that although it is not possible to resume relations with the Arab League at least this year, Syria can create a favorable environment for this process in particular and relations with the Arab world through receiving back to the refugee.

Bashar al-Assad’s first visit to the UAE in more than a decade could be the start of those efforts to bring Syria back to the Muslim world.