Syria’s new leader pledges ‘national dialogue conference

AFP, Damascus :

Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, promised Thursday to hold a “national dialogue conference” in his first address to the nation since the fall of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad.
Sharaa, who was appointed interim president a day earlier for an unspecified transitional period, vowed to preserve “civil peace” and Syria’s territorial unity.
“We will announce in the coming days a committee charged with preparing the national dialogue conference, a direct platform for discussions, to listen to different points of view on our future political programme,” Sharaa said in the prerecorded televised address.
Sharaa also committed to issuing a “constitutional declaration” to serve as a “legal reference” during the country’s transition, following the suspension of the old constitution.
And he vowed to “pursue the criminals who shed Syrian blood and committed massacres and crimes”, whether they were in Syria or abroad, and to establish “real transitional justice” after Assad’s fall.
The speech followed a visit by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, who emphasised the “urgent need” to form an inclusive government during a meeting with Sharaa, according to the Qatari royal court.
The emir’s trip to Damascus was the first by a head of state since Islamist-led rebels seized power less than two months ago. It also follows a visit by Qatar’s prime minister this month.
The emir “stressed the urgent need to form a government representing all spectrums” of Syrian society in order “to consolidate stability and move forward with reconstruction, development and prosperity projects”, the royal court statement said, congratulating Sharaa on his appointment.
Syria’s new authorities on Wednesday said Sharaa had also been tasked with forming a transitional legislature. They announced the dissolution of all armed groups involved in Assad’s overthrow, as well as the former government’s army.
A transitional government had previously been appointed to steer the multi-ethnic, multi-confessional country until March 1.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said discussions with the Qatari delegation touched on reconstruction in the country devastated by nearly 14 years of civil war.
– ‘Historic visit’ –
Unlike other Arab countries, Qatar did not restore diplomatic ties with Syria under Assad and was one of the first to back the armed rebellion that erupted after his government crushed a peaceful uprising in 2011.
Several visiting foreign officials have urged an inclusive transition after Sharaa’s Islamist group led the offensive that ousted Assad on December 8.
Qatari foreign ministry official Mohammed al-Khulaifi welcomed Wednesday’s announcement by Syria’s authorities “on the end of the revolutionary phase and the transition to the phase of establishing the state”.
Doha would continue “to provide the required support on all humanitarian and service levels, and also regarding infrastructure and electricity”, he said.
Qatar was the second country, after Turkey, to reopen its embassy in Damascus following Assad’s overthrow. It has urged the lifting of sanctions.
During a visit earlier this month, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani pledged to support the rehabilitation of Syria’s infrastructure.
A diplomatic source has also said Qatar was weighing plans to assist Syria with public sector salaries.
– Regional congratulations –
Saudi Arabia’s king and crown prince on Thursday congratulated Sharaa on assuming Syria’s interim presidency.
Riyadh was key to returning Assad’s Syria to the Arab League in 2023, after openly championing his overthrow following Damascus’s 2011 crackdown on pro-democracy protests, which sparked war.
“We are pleased to express our congratulations on the occasion of your assumption of the presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic in the transitional phase,” King Salman said in a cable, according to the foreign ministry.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi prime minister and de facto ruler under his ageing father, sent a separate cable also offering his congratulations, the statement said.
Last week, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister visited Damascus, promising help to secure the lifting of international sanctions imposed during Assad’s rule.
Shaibani travelled to Riyadh early in January for his first official trip abroad, and also visited Qatar during a regional tour.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II also congratulated Sharaa on Thursday, wishing him “success in leading Syria and serving its people”.
Amid a flurry of diplomatic activity, a delegation from Russia, a close ally of ousted leader Assad, visited this week, while foreign ministers or senior officials from countries including France, Germany and Turkey have also been to Damascus.
Syria’s defence ministry said Thursday that a high-level Turkish military delegation also visited the country.