Qatar reopens embassy in Damascus after 13 years

Qatar reopened its embassy in Damascus on Saturday, 13 years after shutting it down during the early stages of Syria’s civil war. This move comes as foreign governments begin re-establishing ties with the country’s new leadership.

A journalist from a news agency witnessed Qatar’s flag being raised over the embassy, making Qatar the second country, after Turkey, to officially reopen its diplomatic mission since Islamist-led rebels overthrew President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.

Unlike other Arab nations, Qatar, which supported opposition groups during the civil war, refrained from rehabilitating Assad prior to his removal.

Earlier on Saturday, workers cleaned the area around the embassy, removed graffiti, and swept the pavement. One worker placed the Qatari flag at the base of the flagpole before it was hoisted.

Doha had sent a diplomatic delegation to Damascus days earlier to meet with the transitional government. The delegation expressed Qatar’s “full commitment to supporting the Syrian people,” according to a Qatari diplomat speaking to AFP.

On Tuesday, the European Union announced its willingness to reopen its diplomatic mission in Damascus. Meanwhile, Britain, France, and the United States sent delegations to Syria following Assad’s removal.

The French flag was also raised at France’s embassy in Damascus on Tuesday, although a special envoy stated the mission would remain closed until security conditions improved.

In a related development, the United States on Friday withdrew a $10 million bounty on Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s new leader and the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist rebel group responsible for Assad’s ouster.

HTS, originally linked to Al-Qaeda, has sought to soften its image in recent years.