Ukraine’s foreign minister met with Syria’s de facto leader Ahmad al-Sharaa in Damascus on Monday, days after Kyiv announced the delivery of a large shipment of wheat flour to the country following the ouster of Bashar Assad, Russia’s ally.
Syria is gradually shifting away from Iran and Russia and rekindling ties with Western and Gulf nations that had opposed Assad’s rule, as well as Turkey, which backed opposition forces during the civil war.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine will send 500 tons of wheat flour to Syria through the U.N. World Food Programme, to help improve the country’s food security and economic crisis. About 90% of Syrians live in poverty, while over half don’t know where their next meal will come from, according to the U.N.
“The Ukrainian delegation held important talks with the Syrian administration, leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa and ministers. We support the Syrian people in overcoming decades of dictatorial rule and restoring stability, security, and normal life in Syria,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said he hopes “that a new Syria would become a country that respects international law.” He said Ukraine is ready to share its experience in gathering evidence and conducting investigations to hold war criminals accountable.
“The Russian and Assad regimes supported each other because their foundation is violence and torture,” he said.
Here’s the latest:
BEIRUT — Syria on Monday appointed its first female interim Central Bank governor, as the country navigates through recovering its battered economy after the downfall of the Assad dynasty’s rule.
Maysaa Sabreen is the second woman appointed in a leadership role under Ahmad al-Sharaa and his Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which led Assad’s ouster in an offensive in early December.
Sabreen had served as the Central Bank’s first deputy governor.
She inherits a dire financial crisis following a decade of civil war, mismanagement and sanctions, which has led to the Syrian pound drastically losing its value against the U.S. dollar. The United Nations estimates that some 90% of Syrians live in poverty.
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey is prepared to export electricity to Syria and Lebanon to assist them in addressing power shortages, Turkey’s energy minister said, adding that a Turkish delegation was already in Damascus to evaluate Syria’s energy infrastructure.
Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar also said Monday that the Turkish delegation included experts who would be assessing how Syria’s oil and natural gas could be used to improve the economy.
“We can see the picture a little more clearly after seeing the situation of the transmission network,” the state-run Anadolu Agency quoted Bayraktar as saying.
He said Syria’s electricity capacity had dropped significantly due to the civil war.
“The vast majority of the people meet their electricity needs through generators,” he said. “There is a serious need for electricity.”
Turkey has backed insurgents who ousted President Bashar Assad and has expressed readiness to support the new administration.
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