Jordan’s foreign minister visits Damascus, meets Syria’s new administration leader

By Laith Al-Jnaidi

AMMAN, Jordan (AA) - Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi embarked on an unscheduled visit to Damascus on Monday for talks with the leader of Syria’s new administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

A Foreign Ministry statement said Safadi “is currently holding extensive talks” with al-Sharaa, without giving further details.

In the past few days, al-Sharaa met with several foreign and Arab delegations in Damascus, including from the US and Saudi Arabia.

Bashar Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime which had been in power since 1963.

The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar