Blinken and Sullivan head to Middle East amid Syria developments
Photo: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Top US diplomats are traveling to the Middle East. Their goal is to help ensure a smooth transition of power in Syria, according to the official US government and the White House websites.
The US stated that Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit Jordan and Türkiye, while National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan plans to visit Israel, Qatar, and Egypt in the coming days.
In Aqaba, Secretary Blinken will discuss a range of bilateral issues during a meeting with senior Jordanian government officials and will emphasize the strength of the strategic partnership between the United States and Jordan and US support for the stability of Syria's neighbors, including Jordan, during this period of transition.
Meanwhile, Sullivan’s trip to Israel will focus on multiple issues, with Syria remaining a top priority.
"We want to make sure that the aspirations of the Syrian people are fully met. They have suffered enough over 14 years. And we’re going to be working very, very hard to do that, particularly through existing UN-led processes. But it’s got to be — ultimately, it’s got to be a Syrian-led evolution here towards better and more representative governance," the White House stated.
The fall of the Assad regime in Syria
Last week, President Bashar al-Assad fled Syria following a rapid offensive led by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and its allies.
Read more about why the Assad regime collapsed and what will happen to Syria in the material by RBC-Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the new Syrian government is calling on Syrian refugees to return home.
We previously reported that today, rebels burned the tomb of the father of ousted President Assad.
