UPDATE - Syria, Kuwait explore ways to strengthen bilateral ties

UPDATES WITH DETAILS, CHANGES HEADLINE

By Betul Yilmaz and Laith Al-jnaidi

ISTANBUL (AA) – Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa held talks with Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah during his official visit to the Gulf country on Sunday.

Discussions between the two leaders took up ways of bolstering bilateral relations and the latest regional and international developments, the Kuwaiti state news agency KUNA said.

Minister of the Emiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah Al-Mubarak said the talks between the two sides focused on “supporting brotherly relations and the latest developments in Syria,” according to KUNA.

The meeting also emphasized the need “to strengthen the international community's efforts to ensure Syria's security and stability and preserve its sovereignty and territorial integrity," he added.

Sharaa arrived in Kuwait City earlier on Sunday for an official visit, his 7th trip to an Arab country since he took office in January.

Syria’s state news agency SANA said Sharaa’s visit aims to “strengthen brotherly relations and bilateral coordination between Syria and Kuwait.”

Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in late January.