ADDS REMARKS BY FOREIGN MINISTER AL-SHAIBANI
By Aysu Bicer and Mohammad Sio
LONDON/ISTANBUL (AA) – Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Thursday that the complete removal of US Caesar Act sanctions is now “a matter of time.”
Speaking during a panel discussion at Chatham House in London, Shaibani said Damascus believes it has shifted global perceptions over the past year.
“In 11 months, we changed the world’s view of Syria and removed the fears that once existed,” he said.
Syria is “exhausted and in a transitional phase,” the minister said, adding that the country needs time to “express itself” after years of conflict.
Shaibani said the government’s goal is for Syria to become “a state its people believe in, and not one distant from them.”
- Syria seeks revived disengagement deal with Israel
He said Damascus wants to revive the 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel and end tensions along the frontier, accusing Israel of new territorial incursions and repeated air strikes.
Speaking about the situation along the 1974 ceasefire line, he said: “Israel occupied new territories in Syria after the eighth of December. It’s occupied on the borderline of 1974, it is threatening us with air strikes.”
He noted that Syria had not escalated militarily during the past year. “We didn’t shoot a single bullet against Israel throughout this period,” he said. “It is only one side who is doing all of that.”
Shaibani said Damascus was seeking “a security agreement that revives the 1974 disengagement agreement” to establish a renewed level of de-escalation.
The minister suggested that a unified and stable Syria would ultimately serve Israel’s interests.
“If Israel looks at what is happening in Syria in a logical manner, it will find that not to intervene in Syria … will be in the interest of Israel, not against them,” he said.
He criticized what he described as a prevailing view in Israel that it is safer when Syria is “divided, weak and full of problems,” as “a wrong approach.”
Shaibani said his government’s position was backed by Western powers. “I believe that the approach that we have is supported by the US, the UK and all the European countries,” he said.
- ‘We do not want Syria to be a proxy state’
On relations with Moscow, he stressed that Damascus wants to reduce outside influence and avoid becoming entangled in geopolitical rivalries.
“We do not want to be an arena to deal with any geopolitical aspirations or conflicts in Syria -- we have had enough,” he said. “We do not want Syria to be a proxy state, to do proxy work for any party.”
Shaibani described Russia’s past role as tied to earlier phases of the conflict.
“Russia was a partner to the former regime, and it participated in increasing the sovereign suffering of the Syrian people,” he said.
He added that while Syria wants “a calm relationship with everyone,” Russia’s role would not remain what it was once. “They used to control many aspects of the government, but at the same time, we do not want the relationship of enmity.”
He stressed that Moscow’s position as a permanent member of the UN Security Council made stable ties important.
Syria, he said, aims to “regulate the role of Russia in Syria” and keep the focus on reconstruction.
“We want Syria to be open to the world in a balanced way,” he said. “We do not want to be distracted from the main purpose, which is the reconstruction of Syria,” he said.
He also said relations with the US were progressing very well and would have a regional impact.
He added that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's visit to Washington and his meeting with Trump were very successful and covered all major issues.
“Syria is no longer a marginal country. It is an important country for all the countries of the world," he noted.
- Syria to restructure foreign missions, prepares to reopen embassy in Ankara
Responding to a question from Anadolu, he said, “With regard to the diplomatic missions, of course, there will be restructuring for them. This is taking place according to a plan, not emotional reaction.”
The minister noted that Damascus recently expanded its consular presence in Türkiye
“Certainly, we have opened a consulate in Gaziantep to reduce the pressure of the Consulate at Istanbul. We have received the approval of the Turkish Foreign Ministry on that.”
He explained that Syria had previously lost its embassy building in Ankara due to unpaid rent under the Assad regime.
“The Syrian Embassy in Ankara … was hired, and the Syrian regime defaulted on rental payment, and we lost the property,” he said.
Shaibani added that discussions with Ankara were progressing to restore full diplomatic representation.
“We are in discussions with the Turkish government, and we are getting close to opening the Syrian Embassy in Türkiye,” he said, stressing the importance of relations between the two countries. “Of course, our mission and embassy in Türkiye is important because we have distinguished relations with Türkiye,” he said.