US makes plans to reopen embassy in Syria after 14 years
WASHINGTON: The Trump administration has informed Congress that it intends to proceed with planning for a potential re-opening of the US Embassy in Damascus, Syria, which was shuttered in 2012 during the country’s civil war. A notice to congressional committees earlier this month, which was obtained by The Associated Press, informed lawmakers of the State […]
Read MoreUS transfers ISIL detainees to Iraq as northeast Syria base draws down
United States forces have transported a third group of ISIL (ISIS) detainees from Ghwayran prison in Syria’s Hasakah province to Iraq by land, as activity around a US military base in the region points to possible operational changes, an Al Jazeera correspondent reports. The transfer on Saturday forms part of a trilateral arrangement, which has […]
Read MoreSyria, Russia discuss developing military cooperation
LONDON: Syria’s Chief of General Staff Maj. Gen. Ali Al-Naasan discussed military issues with Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and his delegation on Wednesday. Yevkurov is visiting Syria for several days to develop military cooperation that serves the common interests of both countries, according to Syria’s Defense Ministry. In June, Syrian Defense Minister Maj. […]
Read MoreSyria to chair Arab Group at UN
LONDON: The Syrian Arab Republic took over the presidency of the Arab Group at the UN in New York on Tuesday. The bloc consists of 22 Arab League states, which aim to coordinate votes and unify Arab discourse on political, humanitarian, and development issues on the UN agenda. The country’s permanent mission to the UN […]
Read MoreSyrian government forces deploy toward Kurdish-run city after ceasefire deal
A convoy of Syrian government security forces moved toward the Kurdish-controlled city of Hasakah in the northeast on Monday, Reuters witnesses said, deploying under a US-backed ceasefire deal that foresees the Kurdish-run regions being merged with Damascus. The deal, declared on Friday, has staved off further conflict between President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government and the Kurdish-led […]
Read MoreTurkiye blocks aid convoy to Syria’s Kobani: NGOs
ANKARA: Turkish authorities have blocked a convoy carrying aid to Kobani, a predominantly Kurdish town in northern Syria encircled by the Syrian army, NGOs and a Turkish MP said on Saturday. They said the aid was blocked before it reached the Turkiye-Syria border, despite an agreement announced on Friday between the Syrian government and the […]
Read MoreSyrian, Austrian officials discuss voluntary return of asylum seekers
LONDON: Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab met with an Austrian delegation in Damascus on Thursday to discuss cooperation on migration, border management, and the voluntary return of Syrian asylum seekers. Austria’s special envoy to the Middle East, Ambassador Arad Benko, along with senior officials from Austria’s Interior Ministry, discussed asylum issues, the regulation of humanitarian […]
Read MorePutin praises Al-Sharaa over restoring Syria’s territorial integrity
MOSCOW: Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa met Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for talks in Moscow on Wednesday, as the Kremlin seeks to secure the future of military bases vital for its operations in the Middle East. Russia was a key ally of Al-Sharaa’s predecessor Bashar Assad during the bloody 14-year Syrian civil war. His toppling at […]
Read MoreJordan and Syria sign natural gas supply agreement
LONDON: Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic signed an agreement in Damascus for the latter to receive natural gas via Jordanian territory to support the country’s electricity sector and address energy shortages. Sofian Bataineh, the Jordanian director-general of the National Electric Power Co., and Hashem Saleh, the deputy CEO of the Syrian Petroleum Co., signed […]
Read MoreSyria begins oil extraction at recently controlled fields, state news agency says
CAIRO: The Syrian Petroleum Company has begun extracting oil from recently controlled fields and sending output to the Homs and Baniyas refineries, the state news agency SANA reported on Saturday. One of those fields, Al-Omar oilfield, which is the country’s largest, came under government control recently after a lightning offensive against Kurdish forces who had […]
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