Qatari delegation arrives in Syria, meets transitional government

A Qatari delegation has arrived in Syria and met with officials in the country’s transitional government following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad by opposition forces, the Gulf state said Sunday.

The diplomatic delegation “arrived in Damascus to complete the necessary procedures for the opening of the State of Qatar’s embassy” foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari told the official Qatar News Agency in a statement.

“During its meetings with the transitional government in Syria, the delegation reaffirmed the State of Qatar’s full commitment to supporting the Syrian people… following the success of their revolution,” the spokesman added.

Doha closed its diplomatic mission in Damascus and recalled its ambassador in July 2011, early in an uprising against the al-Assad regime that turned into a civil war.

Qatar never restored diplomatic ties with Syria under al-Assad, who was toppled by the 11-day opposition advance that swept through major cities and then the capital Damascus.

Al-Ansari said the Qatari delegation had also “discussed with the Syrian side ways to facilitate the flow of Qatari humanitarian aid and assessed the needs of the Syrian brothers during this important phase.”

This week, an official briefed on developments said Qatar had “established the first channel of communication” with the “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” (HTS) group, which spearheaded the ouster of the former regime.

The official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions, added the “focus of the communication with HTS and others is on the need… to maintain calm and preserve Syria’s public institutions during the transition period.”

Qatar said on Wednesday that it would soon reopen its embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus “after completing the necessary arrangements.”