In a move that will have significant implications for Syria and its international relations, Ahmed Sharaa was named the country’s president on January 29. The appointment is expected to provide Syria with more clear leadership during its transition after the end of the Bashar al Assad regime. In the wake of this key decision in Damascus, the new president received congratulations from several Arab countries, and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani arrived in Damascus on January 30. The emir is the first head of state to meet Syria’s new official leader.
Sharaa, previously known by his nom de guerre Mohammed al Jolani and the head of Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), a US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, assumed leadership in Damascus when the Assad regime collapsed on December 8. Sharaa and many of the officers in HTS have spent the seven weeks between December 8 and January 29 consolidating power and holding meetings with foreign envoys at a feverish pace.
On January 29, the state-owned Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said Sharaa “assumes the duties of the Syrian presidency and represents it at international forums.” This development bookends a number of key changes two months after HTS launched its offensive that swept the Assad regime from power. The offensive, which began in late November, took Aleppo, Homs, Hama, and the capital in a week of fighting.
Sharaa assuming leadership in Syria led to a round of meetings with foreign envoys in December, including Turkey’s intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen, and representatives from several European countries and the US. Sharaa has moved to cast off his designation as a terrorist by the US and the extremist past of HTS. The US State Department removed a $10 million reward for Jolani on December 20 after he met with US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf on December 20. The EU moved to lift key sanctions on Syria on January 27.
The process that led to Sharaa being named president moved quickly in January. Syria also appointed new ministers for key portfolios, such as defense and foreign policy. Sharaa and the new minister of defense, Major General Murhaf Abu Qasra, have held numerous meetings with armed factions that have deep roots in the decade-long Syrian Civil War.
Diplomatic outreach has been a key feature of Sharaa’s policy since he arrived in Damascus in December. In general, this effort has included outreach to Western countries, a stark contrast to the Assad regime, which was a dedicated partner of Iran and Russia.
After attending the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 21, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Shaibani returned to Damascus to host a number of delegations. On January 28, a Russian delegation arrived in Damascus, led by the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov. It was the first high-level delegation from Moscow since the fall of Assad. Ukraine, which is fighting Russia, also sent its foreign minister to Syria at the end of December. In addition, on January 30, Syria’s finance minister hosted a delegation from the European Union, and Syria’s Ministry of Defense hosted counterparts from Turkey.
Congratulations have poured in from the region after the January 29 decision appointing Sharaa as president.
“We are pleased to express to Your Excellency our congratulations on the occasion of your assumption of the presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic in the transitional period,” Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud wrote, according to Syrian state media. Oman also congratulated Sharaa. King Abdullah II of Jordan, Syria’s southern neighbor, wrote about “Jordan’s keenness on consolidating cooperation with Syria, standing by the Syrian brothers in developing their country, and maintaining coordination on various issues, in a way that achieves common interests and enhances Arab unity.”
Qatar’s emir arrived in Damascus on January 30. Thani’s visit is symbolically important because he is the first head of state to meet the new leader in Damascus. Sharaa’s new status allows him to officially receive and speak to heads of state as part of diplomatic protocol.
A pattern is emerging regarding the new Syrian government’s diplomatic outreach. It has worked on four fronts: to establish better relations with European countries and the US, to work closely with Turkey, to conduct outreach to the Arab states, and to remain open to discussions with allies of the former regime, such as Russia and Iran. This pattern was evident in December and January. For instance, Turkey sent officials and delegations to Damascus on December 12, 22, and 23 and January 27 and 30. Syrian officials have also met European officials from the EU, Norway, Spain, Germany, the UK, and the US.
On the Arab states front, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE have reached out to Damascus beyond issuing statements over the last two months. For instance, the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan met with his Syrian counterpart in early January. Syria’s foreign minister also traveled to Saudi Arabia in early January. Qatar has sent both its emir and its minister of state to Damascus.
