Egypt Daily News – A Ukrainian delegation headed by Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha arrived in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Monday, on a first-of-its-kind visit to meet Ahmed al-Sharaa, the leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly known as “Al-Julani”, following the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad.
During the meeting, Sybiha conveyed a message from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Syrian people, in which he said: “We are with you and are ready to help restore normal life and achieve stability and food security.”
Sybiha stressed the importance of the new Syria’s respect for international law, including Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, considering that this “will pave the way for the resumption of diplomatic relations, the restoration of political dialogue, and the full strengthening of diplomatic presence.” He added: “We are ready to develop cooperation in several fields.”
The Ukrainian minister pointed out that the former regime of Bashar al-Assad, under the influence of Moscow, had recognized Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and the occupation of parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which prompted Kiev to sever diplomatic relations with the Syrian regime in 2022. The minister explained that Ukraine assumes that The new Syria will respect international law, which will allow the resumption of diplomatic relations and bilateral cooperation.
Sybiha stressed that his country is ready to share its experience in collecting legal evidence, investigations, and working to bring war criminals to justice, pointing to Ukraine’s readiness to support food security in Syria.
