Syrian Foreign Minister Welcomes Foreign Investment at WEF Presentation
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani shared his vision for the future of Syria post-Assad.
Al-Shibani, speaking from Davos, Switzerland, under the provisional government that replaced Bashar al-Assad’s regime, also discussed energy and electricity partnerships with Arabian Gulf states.
He mentioned, “Syria has diverse economic resources across various sectors like industry and tourism. The future economy will embrace foreign investment and collaboration.”
Regarding the challenges faced, Al-Shibani emphasized the importance of removing economic sanctions for the stability of Syria and sought the support of the international community in this new endeavor.
Al-Shibani assured that all groups in Syria would operate under the Constitution and the rule of law to guarantee rights and maintain stability.
Shibani talked about strengthening ties with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar in discussions to enhance relations with those countries.
Qatar announced plans to supply Syria with electricity, with further collaboration to come, as mentioned by Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani during a visit to Damascus.
Al-Shibani highlighted the previous negative behavior of the Assad regime towards Gulf countries and mentioned the importance of Syria playing an active role in the region.
He emphasized, “The Gulf countries are crucial for Syria’s future, and they should aid us in this journey.”
Al-Shibani stated that a committee representing various groups would contribute to drafting a new constitution for Syria after conducting a national dialogue involving all sectors of society to guide Syria in the post-Assad era.
At a press conference in Damascus, U.N. Syria envoy Geir Pedersen reiterated the need for an inclusive transition to establish a new constitution and hold free and fair elections in a Syrian-led political process to restore sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Both Pedersen and Al-Shibani echoed calls for lifting the international sanctions imposed on Syria.
Chris Summers, Reuters, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.