The UAE ambassador takes post in Damascus after nearly 13 years of cut ties

By ALBERT AJI
Associated Press

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The first United Arab Emirates ambassador to Damascus in nearly 13 years has taken up his post on Tuesday as Syria is reintegrating into mainstream regional acceptance.  Syrian state media said the country’s Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad received Ambassador Hassan Ahmad al-Shihi’s credentials. The UAE embassy was re-opened in Syria in late 2018 and a charge d’affaires has been in charge of the diplomatic mission since then.  Syrian President  Bashar Assad visited the Gulf country in March 2022, the first Arab country to receive him since Syria’s civil war erupted nearly 13 years ago. In May, the 22-member Arab League agreed to reinstate Syria, ending a 12-year suspension.