News / Syria / Persian Gulf

UAE top official calls for end to war, chaos in Syria after Assad visit

Monday, 20 March 2023 10:48 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 20 March 2023 10:48 AM ]

A file photo of Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the UAE’s president. (By AP)

Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the UAE’s president, has called for an end to the war and destruction in Syria, amid rapprochement between Arab states and Damascus.

In a tweet, Gargash reiterated his country's support for "the return of Syria to its environment", noting that this was confirmed by the UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan during his Sunday meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"A decade and a half of war, violence and destruction is enough and it's time to enhance cooperation and solidarity among our Arab countries to ensure the stability and prosperity of the region," Gargash said.

Syria's membership in the Arab League was suspended following the eruption of a foreign-backed militancy in the country in 2011.

"The UAE's approach and efforts towards brotherly Syria are part of a deeper vision and a broader approach aimed at strengthening Arab and regional stability and overcoming difficult years of confrontation," Gargash added.

The UAE cut its relations with Syria in 2012, a year after the Damascus found itself in the grips of foreign-backed violence, but it reopened its embassy in Damascus in 2018.

In the latest sign of developing thaw in ties between the two countries, Assad, accompanied by his wife Asma al-Assad, arrived in Abu Dhabi on Sunday for an official visit. It was her first foreign trip since 2011.