During his visit to Pakistan, Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani described Türkiye as a “key partner” in rebuilding Syria. Shaibani said the border between the two countries stretches for more than 1,000 kilometers and that they share historic ties.
Asked about the Mecca Common Defense Agreement signed by Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan on August 7, Shaibani said Syria was assessing the matter. He stated that Syria had not yet decided whether to join the alliance and that a decision would be made later.
Message on Iran
Addressing the possibility of contacts with Iran, Shaibani said Tehran must first acknowledge what it did to the Syrian people during the uprising against the government of Bashar al-Assad.
Shaibani praised Pakistan’s role in the dialogue process between the United States and Iran. He also said that Pakistan had so far made no proposal to mediate between Syria and Iran.
Relations with Pakistan
Describing his visit to Pakistan as successful, Shaibani said Damascus and Islamabad had agreed to reactivate their joint ministerial committee. The two countries also reached agreements on maintaining direct flights, establishing a business council and holding an investment forum.
Shaibani said Syria and Pakistan shared the same vision and wanted to elevate bilateral relations to the highest level. In this context, he announced that Syria would raise its level of diplomatic representation in Pakistan to that of an embassy.
Relations with Israel
Commenting on relations with Israel, Shaibani said it was still too early to discuss any strategic agreement. He said Syria’s priority was to halt Israeli attacks.
Emphasizing that Syria is a sovereign state, Shaibani said Israel should not dictate its alliances or partnerships to Damascus.
Shaibani’s visit to Pakistan
Shaibani said Syrian foreign policy was focused on reconstruction, economic cooperation and building stronger ties with regional and international partners. He traveled to Pakistan on Wednesday at the head of a high-level delegation. The visit was the first official trip to Pakistan by a Syrian foreign minister in 19 years.
