Saudi top diplomat says kingdom ‘at vanguard' of efforts to rebuild Syria
Syria's interim president, Mr Ahmed al-Sharaa (right) welcoming Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, to Damascus on May 31. PHOTO: AFP
Saudi top diplomat says kingdom 'at vanguard' of efforts to rebuild Syria
DAMASCUS - Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan travelled to Damascus on May 31, where he said his country would be at the forefront of efforts to rebuild Syria after nearly 14 years of civil war.
Prince Faisal had landed in the Syrian capital earlier, alongside an economic delegation on a visit to discuss ways to support Syria's war-ravaged economy, authorities said.
Saudi Arabia has been one of the most important regional supporters of Syria's new authorities, who took over after ousting longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.
'We affirm that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will remain at the vanguard of countries standing by Syria in its path towards reconstruction and economic recovery,' Prince Faisal said, in a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart.
Saudi Arabia 'will present joint financial support alongside Qatar to public sector workers' in Syria, he added, while pointing to interest in Syria from Saudi investors.
He said Saudi economic delegations would visit Damascus soon, noting that 'work is under way to discuss investment support and economic and trade cooperation' between the two countries.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, meanwhile, expressed his country's thanks 'for the role Saudi Arabia has played, particularly on the lifting of sanctions' by the United States.
The two countries 'have entered a strong stage of joint investment and economic cooperation', he said.
Mr Shaibani pointed to 'strategic initiatives aiming to restore infrastructure, replenish agriculture... and create real job opportunities for Syrians'.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (left) and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani delivering a press conference in Damascus on May 31.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Prince Faisal met Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, and visited Damascus' famous Umayyad Mosque alongside Mr Shaibani.
On a visit to Riyadh earlier this month, US President Donald Trump said he would lift US sanctions on Syria, a move that should help pave the way for economic recovery in the war-torn country.
In February, Mr Sharaa visited Saudi Arabia on his first trip abroad as president.
In April, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, another key backer of the new authorities, announced they would settle Syria's debt to the World Bank totalling roughly US$15 million (S$19 million).
Damascus is hoping that the lifting of sanctions, particularly by the US, will enable support from the international community.
Years of war and sanctions have battered the country's economy, infrastructure and industry.
A recent United Nations Development Programme report estimated Syria's 'lost GDP' during the 2011-2024 war to be around US$800 billion.
Prince Faisal first visited Syria's new authorities in January. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
36 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Polish eurosceptic Nawrocki wins presidential vote, electoral commission says
Electoral commission members count votes of the second round of presidential election, in Lodz, Poland, June 1, 2025. Agencja Stepien via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. POLAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN POLAND. REFILE - CORRECTING LOCATION FROM \"ZAKOPANE\" TO \"LODZ\". Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, backed by the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, gestures after he voted in the second round of presidential election, at a polling station in Warsaw, Poland, June 1, 2025. Agencja Kaminski via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. POLAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN POLAND. Electoral commission members count votes of the second round of presidental election, in Lodz, Poland, June 1, 2025. Agencja Stepien via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. POLAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN POLAND. A person holds a placard with a message in support of Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, backed by the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, on the day of the second round of presidential election, in Warsaw, Poland, June 1, 2025. The placard reads: \"Karol Nawrocki, Poles are with you, you will win\". REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel Polish presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, backed by the main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, talks to the press after he voted in the second round of presidential election, at a polling station in Warsaw, Poland, June 1, 2025. Agencja Kaminski via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. POLAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN POLAND. WARSAW - Polish nationalist opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki won the second round of the country's presidential election with 50.89% of the votes, the electoral commission said early on Monday on its website. His rival, Rafal Trzaskowski, the liberal Warsaw mayor and an ally of the government led by Donald Tusk, got 49.11%. Nawrocki, 42, a eurosceptic historian and amateur boxer who ran a national remembrance institute, campaigned on a promise to ensure economic and social policies favour Poles over other nationalities, including refugees from neighbouring Ukraine. While Poland's parliament holds most power, the president can veto legislation, and the vote was being watched closely in Ukraine as well as Russia, the United States and across the European Union. On social media platform X, current President Andrzej Duda, also a conservative, thanked Poles for going to vote in large numbers. Turnout was 71.31%, the electoral commission said, a record for the second round of a presidential election. "Thank you! For participating in the presidential elections. For the turnout. For fulfilling your civic duty. For taking responsibility for Poland. Congratulations to the winner! Stay strong Poland!" Duda wrote. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Russian attacks kill five in Zaporizhzhia, injure several in Kharkiv, regional officials say
Emergency workers remove debris from a private house that was damaged in a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, June 1, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Peter Emergency service members work at the site where Russian drones damaged several private houses, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, June 1, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Peter Local resident Lyudmila Tsinkush who was injured during a Russian drones strike on her house walks in her garden, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, June 1, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Peter An emergency service member works at the site where Russian drones damaged several private houses, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, June 1, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Peter Local resident Lyudmila Tsinkush leaves her house that was damaged in a Russian drones strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, June 1, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Peter Russian attacks kill five in Zaporizhzhia, injure several in Kharkiv, regional officials say Russian shelling and air attacks killed five people outside the southeastern Ukraine city of Zaporizhzhia, while a drone attack on the northeast region of Sumy injured at least six early on Monday, including two children, regional officials said. Ivan Fedorov, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said three women died in a series of Russian shelling incidents targeting the village of Ternuvate, east of Zaporizhzhia late on Sunday. A shop and several homes were badly damaged. A man died in a nearby district in a Russian strike by a guided aerial bomb, Fedorov said. A total of nine people were injured in the Russian attacks and a private home was destroyed. Two children were among those injured in a Russian drone attack on the Sumy region, Oleh Sinehubov, the governor of the region, said on Monday on Telegram. "A 7-year-old boy is among the victims," Sinehubov said. He added that several buildings throughout the regions were damaged. The attacks come as both Russia and Ukraine are about to meet for a round of peace talks, trying to find a way to end the war that Russia launched with a full-scale invasion on its smaller neighbour more than three years ago. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Taiwan warns of rise in Chinese military activity around region
Tensions have steadily risen since President Lai Ching-te took office in May 2024. PHOTO: AFP TAIPEI – Taiwan said China escalated military pressure around the region in May, deploying dozens of warships and government vessels daily in what it described as an extreme pressure campaign. China sent an average of 50 to 70 vessels per day across the first island chain – a key strategic arc stretching from Japan through Taiwan and the Philippines – between May 1 and 27, said a senior Taiwanese security official, who asked not to be identified, citing government protocol. The official, who spoke at a briefing on May 29, called it a record high for May, though did not provide comparable figures from last year. A document shared at the briefing showed the scale and range of the deployments stretching from the Yellow Sea to the East and South China Seas. Tensions have steadily risen since President Lai Ching-te took office in May 2024. Beijing, which views the democratic island as part of its territory, has called Mr Lai a separatist and carried out at least seven sets of military drills around the island since his inauguration, a pace not seen in previous years. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on May 31 urged partners in Asia to raise defense spending toward 5 per cent of gross domestic product, warning that more urgency is needed to prepare for a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Chinese activity peaked around May 27, when more than 70 vessels – mostly naval – were observed operating in the region, according to the Taipei official. Two aircraft carriers, the Shandong and Liaoning, took part in the activities in May, with the Liaoning conducting takeoff and landing drills for warplanes in the East China Sea for the first time, the official said. Chinese patrols also appeared to press closer to Taiwan's 24-nautical mile boundary during joint combat exercises, which the Taipei official said go far beyond Beijing's defence needs. Separate data from Taiwan's Defence Ministry shows around 254 Chinese warships and government vessels were spotted around the archipelago over May 1-27, averaging nine a day, according to Bloomberg calculations. That's slightly up from an average of seven a day in 2024, the data shows. Bloomberg Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
