Oman reinstates Syria envoy

Dubai
Oman has become the first state in the Gulf to reinstate ambassador in Syria after they downgraded or shut mission in Damascus in 2012.

Syria’s foreign ministry, state news agency ONA said, accepted the credentials of Oman’s Ambassador Turki bin Mahmood al-Busaidy, appointed to the post in a royal decree in March.

Oman, whose Sultan Haitham pledged when assuming power in January to continue maintaining friendly ties with all nations, kept its embassy open, as did Bahrain.

The United Arab Emirates re-opened its mission to Damascus in late 2018 and has a charge d’affaires there.

Kuwait has said it would re-open its mission in Damascus if there is an agreement in the Arab League, which suspended Syria’s membership in 2011.

The United States has imposed new sanctions aimed at cutting off funds for Assad’s government and warned that anyone doing business with Damascus was also at risk of being blacklisted.