Moroccan, Syrian foreign ministers hold 1st-ever meeting

By Khalid Mejdoub and Ikram Kouachi

RABAT, Morocco (AA) - Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita held talks with his Syrian counterpart Asaad Al-Shaibani in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Morocco’s Foreign Ministry announced on Friday.

The meeting took place on Thursday evening on the sidelines of ministerial meetings between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Morocco, Syria, Egypt, and Jordan, according to a statement from the Moroccan Foreign Ministry.

The meeting marked the first official talks between the two, marking a landmark in Syria's post-Assad era. During the talks, Bourita reaffirmed Morocco’s “support for Syria’s unity and sovereignty.”

He also cited King Mohammed VI’s message to Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa expressing Morocco’s “commitment to supporting all efforts that meet the aspirations of the Syrian people.”

In February, the monarch congratulated Sharaa on assuming the presidency, emphasizing Morocco’s “continued support for Syria in achieving security and stability.” In a congratulatory letter, he reiterated Morocco’s “stance in favor of Syria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.”

On Thursday evening, Mecca hosted a ministerial meetings between the GCC states – Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman – along with the foreign ministers of Egypt, Syria, and Morocco, to discuss regional cooperation and developments, including the situation in Gaza.

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

Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president on Jan. 29.