The new Syria was on display at the Munich Security Conference this weekend. Important meetings were held by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and a delegation that also included Kurdish members of the Syrian Democratic Forces.
This illustrates how far Syria has come from a month ago, when the Syrian government was clashing with the SDF. Now, the two are working together, and a transition is taking place in eastern Syria.
Syria has shown that these clashes need not spiral out of control. Despite critics who have slammed the government for being “jihadists” or threatening minorities, the Syrian delegation in Munich showed that it is ready for prime time. Syria is putting on a display of unity, and it is seeking to work with European and other powers to make sure that Damascus radiates stability, not extremism.
Syria held talks with Rubio
Some skeptics will continue to argue that beneath the surface, all is not well. The question is whether the Syria on display in Munich is the future or whether hurdles back home could derail things. What is clear for now is that the Syrian delegation held high-level talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Shaibani, according to a post on X/Twitter about his comments, spoke about Syria-Israel issues, as well as meeting with many others.
According to Arab News, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with Syrian Shaibani and his delegation on the sidelines of the Munich conference on Saturday, “with talks focusing on bilateral relations and regional developments.”
In addition, this report said that “according to a Foreign Ministry statement, the meeting reviewed ties between the two countries, as well as relations between the two peoples. Prince Faisal welcomed the comprehensive agreement in Syria, which includes the integration of institutions of the Autonomous Administration into Syrian state institutions.”
Saudi Arabia is looking to invest billions of dollars in Syria. Meanwhile, US energy company Chevron recently signed an MOU with a Qatari company to do offshore oil exploration.
Arab News also noted that Farhan “reiterated the kingdom’s support for efforts by the Syrian government to preserve the country’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. Prince Faisal expressed confidence in the Syrian government’s progress in its dealings with the Kurds. He highlighted ongoing advances, adding that ‘the world will be amazed by Syria’s economic capabilities.’”
Regarding Israel, Al Arabiya noted that “Shaibani said on Saturday that negotiations on a security deal with Israel were focused on areas Israel has recently occupied and excluded the broader issue of the Golan Heights.”
The report noted that “Israel and Syria’s new authorities have held several rounds of direct talks in recent months, and after negotiations in January – and under US pressure – they agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism as they edged towards a security agreement.”
Syrian SDF commander Mazloum Abdi was also in Munich with the Syrian delegation, in another sign of change. In the past, Turkey had likely blocked SDF participation because of tensions between Ankara and the SDF. This visible change and the symbolic meetings that also had substance show how Syria is trying to project a new unity.