The Syrian authorities appoint figures from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham as ministers of foreign affairs and defence news

Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Murhaf Abu Qasra was appointed Minister of Defense. Both are allies of the leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, Ahmed al-Shara.

Syria’s new rulers have appointed a Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense, according to the official Syrian news agency SANA, as part of their efforts to build international relations two weeks after… Bashar al-Assad He was overthrown.

SANA said that the ruling General Command appointed Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani as Minister of Foreign Affairs on Saturday. A source in the new administration told Reuters news agency that this step “comes in response to the aspirations of the Syrian people to establish international relations that achieve peace and stability.”

An official source told Reuters that Murhaf Abu Qasra was appointed Minister of Defense in the interim government. Abu Qasra, also known by the nom de guerre Abu al-Hassan 600, is a senior figure in Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which led the opposition forces that ousted Assad.

Al Jazeera’s Rasoul Sardar, reporting from Damascus, said that Abu Qasra and al-Shaibani are “very close” to Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham leader Ahmed al-Shara. He pointed out, “This raises questions about whether Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham forms its own government or the Syrian government.”

He added: “So far, 14 ministers have been appointed, all of them close allies or friends of Al-Sharaa.”

Al-Shara, Syria’s new de facto ruler, has actively interacted with foreign delegations since taking power, including hosting the UN envoy to Syria and senior US diplomats.

He said that his main focus is on reconstruction and economic development, and that he is not interested in entering into any new conflicts.

Syrian opposition fighters took control of Damascus on December 8, forcing President Assad to flee after more than 13 years of war and ending his family’s decades-long rule.

The forces under the command of Al-Sharaa formed a caretaker government for a period of three months.

Washington classified Al-Sharaa a “terrorist” in 2013, saying that Al-Qaeda in Iraq had commissioned him to overthrow Assad. US officials said on Friday that Washington would withdraw A reward of $10 million On his head.

The war has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, caused one of the largest refugee crises in modern times, left cities bombed and reduced to rubble and the economy devastated by global sanctions.

Qatar opens an embassy

Qatar reopened its embassy in Damascus on Saturday, 13 years after it was closed early in the Syrian war, as foreign governments seek to establish relations with the country’s new rulers.

Qatar has become the second country after Türkiye to officially reopen its embassy since Assad fled into exile.

Doha sent a diplomatic delegation to Damascus several days ago to meet with the transitional government.

The European Union said on Tuesday that it was ready to reopen its diplomatic mission in Damascus.

The French flag was raised over the Paris embassy in Damascus on Tuesday even though the country’s special envoy to Syria said the mission would remain closed “as long as security standards are not met.”