Syria talks being held in Riyadh with Western and regional participation

12/1/2025 17:46

Foreign ministers and top diplomats from Western and Middle Eastern countries are meeting Syria's new foreign minister in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Sunday at the first such regional meeting on Syria since President Bashar al-Assad was ousted last month.



German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Riyadh on Sunday morning ahead of the meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani.



British foreign minister David Lammy was also expected to join the talks, according to a statement issued by the UK Foreign Office.



Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey were all in Riyadh for Sunday's meeting plus envoys from the European Union and the United States. Other top Arab and Western officials are expected to attend.



A lightning rebel offensive overthrew Assad on Dec. 8 and Islamist rebels Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led the advance, set up a caretaker government that appointed Shibani as foreign minister.



The meeting is the first to include both Syria's new rulers and top Western officials and will be led by Saudi Arabia.