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First Kuwait flight in decade lands in Aleppo airport
Over recent months, several Arab states have sought to rebuild ties with Damascus
By News Desk - June 03 2022
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(Photo credit: SANA)

Local media reported that the first Syrian airliner flight from Kuwait to Syria landed in Aleppo International Airport on 3 June, 10 years after flights were first halted.

Recent years have seen a surge in the willingness of Arab states to rebuild their ties with Damascus.

In March of this year, President Bashar al-Assad made an unannounced trip to the UAE, marking his first visit to an Arab state since 2011, where he met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed (MbZ).

During their meeting, MbZ referred to Syria as a “fundamental pillar of Arab security,” as reported by the Emirates state news agency WAM.

On 29 September of last year, Jordan fully re-opened its main border crossing with Syria in a bid to resume economic relations with its neighbor.

Jordanian officials made the announcement at the end of a two-day ministerial meeting held in Amman with Syrian authorities, during which the two sides discussed strengthening cooperation on trade, transport, energy, and agriculture.

A few days later, Al-Assad and Jordan’s King Abdallah had a telephone exchange, marking the first contact between Abdallah and Assad since the outbreak of the war on Syria in March of 2011.

Over the past year, Egypt and Algeria have been pressing for Syria’s return to the Arab League, despite objections from Qatar. Algeria argues that the expulsion of Syria from the Arab League was in clear violation of the Arab League Charter.

In February, the Qatari Foreign Minister referred to the rebuilding of ties with Syria as “impossible.”

Despite the war nearing its end, and the recent warming of relations between Damascus and its Arab neighbors, Syria continues to face aggression from illegal occupation, namely that of US and Turkish forces in northern Syria.

This week, the Turkish military launched a new operation in order to establish a so-called safe zone on its border with Syria, sparking international condemnation.

Syria’s envoy to the UN Bassam al-Sabbagh accused the US and other NATO members on 25 February of hindering efforts by the Syrian government to end the 11 years of war and rebuild the country.

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