Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani arrives in Qatar for talks | News

Assad al-Shaibani's visit to Qatar comes as the new administration seeks support from Arab states following the ouster of al-Assad.

Syria's newly appointed foreign minister, Assad Hassan al-Shaibani, arrived in Qatar as part of his regional trip to seek support for the new government that came to power after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad last month.

Syria's official SANA news agency confirmed the arrival of the delegation on Sunday, which includes the country's defense minister Murhaf Abu Kasra and intelligence chief Anas Khattab.

Al-Shaibani is expected to meet with Qatari officials, including Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed al-Hulaifi, on his first trip to the Gulf state. The visit is coming almost two weeks after al-Hulaifi traveled to Damascus to hold talks with officials from the new administration.

Al-Hulaifi's trip came days after Doha opened its embassy in Damascus after 13 years. Qatar did not join other Arab states in recognizing al-Assad, who sought asylum in Russia after fleeing the country on December 8. He was accused of committing war crimes against his own citizens.

Syria's new government is eager for investment from wealthy Gulf states to help rebuild the country's infrastructure and boost an economy battered by more than a decade of war.

Al Jazeera's Stephanie Decker, a reporter from Doha, said discussions between Qatari officials and the Syrian delegation were likely to focus on “strengthening ties, security, reconstruction”.

“This is an interim government that faces huge challenges when it comes to getting Syria back on its feet. We need money,” she added.

Al-Shaibani is expected to visit the United Arab Emirates and Jordan this week to “support stability, security, economic recovery and build excellent partnerships,” according to his X account.

He began his first overseas visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, where Saudi officials discussed how best to support Syria's political transition.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa and Lebanon's interim prime minister, Najib Mikati, agreed in a phone call to restore calm along the 375-kilometer (233-mile) border after clashes between Lebanese soldiers and Syrian gunmen in which five of the former were injured.

Al-Shara leads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the capture of Damascus from the al-Assad regime.