Based on the political events that Syria witnessed after the devastating earthquake, it became clear that the tragedy had caused the Arab diplomatic wheel toward Damascus to move further. The development prompted some Arab countries to take bolder steps — led by Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Qatar, Kuwait and Morocco maintained their previous stances on opening up to Syria and restoring relations with it.
The American channel Alhurra published a report on the reluctance of these countries to engage with Damascus after the earthquake. It quoted political analysts as confirming that some countries remain reluctant to normalize with Syria, which is consistent with the American and Western positions.
Motives and Objectives of Arab Initiative for Solution in Syria
In this regard, Qatar announced that it would not engage with the Syrian government after the earthquake. Doha stressed that it would send aid through the air bridge it established with Turkey and to areas outside the control of the Syrian state in northwestern Syria only. As for Kuwait, Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said a few days ago that Qatar “has no plans for normalization with the Syrian state, as some Arab countries did, following the earthquake that struck northern Syria and southern Turkey on February 6th.”
In related news, confidential sources have previously reported to Athr Press that the Syrian Embassy in Kuwait stopped a fundraising campaign for the benefit of those affected by the earthquake because the Kuwaiti government did not grant final approval to the initiative. Two days later, the embassy resumed the fundraising process following an intense backlash from the local community and great public urgency to open the door for donations. These circumstances were confirmed by the Chargé d’Affaires of the Syrian Embassy in Kuwait, Ambassador Mustafa Dayoub, in an interview with Athr Press.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
