In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows Syrian President Bashar Assad, right, speaks with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, in Damascus, Syria, Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. Al Nahyan’s visit to Syria is the first time since the Syrian conflict began a decade ago and comes as some Arab countries are improving relations with Syria. The UAE has been slowly mending ties with Damascus, as the tide of the war has turned in favor of President Bashar Assad. (SANA via AP)
SRDTF News
UPDATED 9:45 AM PT – Wednesday, November 10, 2021
The State Department condemned a recent meeting with diplomats from the UAE and the Assad-regime in Syria. On Tuesday, spokesperson Ned Price denounced the move and called Syrian President Bashar al Assad a “brutal dictator.”
The meet-up between the UAE and Syrian foreign minister marked the first meeting from the UAE since Syria spiraled into a civil war in 2011. Additionally, this marked the latest meeting by a Middle Eastern country to bolster ties with Syria.
#UAE🇦🇪 #Syria🇸🇾 pic.twitter.com/eeThA76AGP
— Afra Al Hameli (@AfraMalHameli) November 10, 2021
Price stressed the Biden administration does not support normalizing ties with Syria.
“We will not normalize or upgrade our diplomatic relations with the Assad regime, nor do we support other countries normalizing or upgrading their relations given the atrocities that this regime has inflicted on its own people, on the Syrian people,” stated the State Department spokesman. “We believe, and this I am confident, that we share with many of our partners partners that stability in Syria and the greater region can only be achieved through a political process that represents the will of all Syrians.”
Price went on to say the U.S. will coordinate with allies, including the United Nations, to reign in the Assad regime and assist the residents of Syria.