Damascus [Syria], December 30 : Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Monday held talks with Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, his counterpart Asaad Hassan al-Shaybani and other officials in Damascus and expressed willingness to restore relations with Syria, Al Jazeera reported.
The meeting marks one of the most consequential visits since the fall of Bashar al-Assad on December 8.
https://x.com/andrii_sybiha/status/1873673634252009827
In a post on X, Sybiha stated, "Today in Damascus, I met with the leader of the Syrian administration Ahmed Al-Sharaa and personally conveyed the message of Ukraine's President @ZelenskyyUa to the Syrian people: we are with you and ready to assist in restoring normal life, stability, and food security."
https://x.com/andrii_sybiha/status/1873723885201633783
Sharing some pictures of his meeting with Syrian counterpart Asaad Hassan al-Shaybani on X, he wrote, "We are ready to open a new page in our bilateral relations, restore diplomatic ties based on mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, and develop cooperation in international organisations."
Further, Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani expressed his country's desire for "strategic partnerships" with Ukraine, highlighting the shared experiences and suffering of both nations.
He drew parallels between Syria's 14-year war and Russia's seizure of Ukrainian territory in 2014, culminating in the full-scale 2022 invasion, as per Al Jazeera.
"Certainly the Syrian people and the Ukrainian people have the same experience and the same suffering that we endured over 14 years," Shibani added, drawing parallels between Syria's 2011-2024 war and Russia's seizure of Ukrainian territory in 2014 and culminating in its full-scale 2022 invasion.
According to Al Jazeera, Russia was a staunch ally of President al-Assad and has given him political asylum.
"We look forward to mutual recognition of the sovereignty of the two countries so that we can complete diplomatic representation in Syria," Sybiha said at a news conference after his Ukrainian delegation met the Syrian leaders.
"We believe Ukrainian-Syrian relations will witness great development," he added.
The visit comes after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday that his country had sent its first batch of food aid, 500 tonnes of wheat flour, to Syria. Despite its war with Russia, Ukraine remains one of the world's top wheat producers.
Ukraine, which has been battling invading Russian forces for nearly three years, has said it wants to restore relations with Syria.