Washington concerned by UAE top diplomat visit to Syria

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Tuesday, the US showed concern by meeting held between Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad and the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan in Damascus.

“We are concerned by reports of this meeting and the signal it sends,” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said.

“This administration will not express any support for efforts to normalize or to rehabilitate Bashar al-Assad who is a brutal dictator,” Price added.

On Tuesday, Syrian President Bashar Assad received the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan.  

During the meeting, they discussed the bilateral relations between Syria and the UAE, and the development of bilateral cooperation in various fields of common interest, according to Presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic’s Facebook account.

“We urge states in the region to carefully consider the atrocities that this regime, that Bashar al-Assad himself has perpetrated on the Syrian people over the last decade, as well as the regime’s ongoing efforts to deny much of the country access to humanitarian aid and security,” Price noted.

On October 3, Syrian President Bashar Assad made a phone call with Jordanian King Abdullah II during which they discussed bilateral ties between the two countries and ways to enhance cooperation between them.

“King Abdullah II received a phone call from Syrian President Bashar Assad tackling relations between the two brotherly countries and ways to enhance cooperation between Jordan and Syria,” Jordanian Royal Court tweeted.