Syria‘s New Government Aims to Stabilize, Secures Energy Support from Gulf Nations
Doha/Ankara: The newly-formed government in Syria, aimed at stabilizing the war-ravaged country, has embarked on a diplomatic offensive in the Gulf region. The Foreign Minister and his delegation recently visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, and other major countries in West Asia, seeking assistance.
Syria’s new rulers have requested all nations to help in rebuilding the country. Wealthy GCC nations have pledged aid, while the U.S. partially acknowledged Syria’s plea to lift sanctions. Qatar and Turkey swiftly ensured support, pledging to send two electricity-generating ships each to Syria. The six ships aim to produce 800 megawatts of electricity, a move expected to stabilize the country’s power grid.
Syria has been grappling with a severe power crisis since the onset of the civil war in 2011. Decades of conflict and sanctions have wrecked its infrastructure. Power outages are common, with many areas receiving just three hours of electricity daily. The new government has vowed to increase this to eight hours within two months.
Syria has appealed to Qatar and Turkey for immediate assistance to bolster power supply. Both countries have agreed and are expected to dispatch the ships soon. However, the exact timeline for the ships’ arrival is yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, other GCC nations have also pledged support to reconstruct Syria’s infrastructure.
In a related development, the U.S. partially lifted sanctions on Syria, allowing humanitarian aid to flow in without interruption. This six-month reprieve aims to facilitate the new government’s stabilization efforts. However, full sanctions relief is yet to be decided, depending on the future situation.
Simultaneously, Syria has decided to strengthen ties with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, potentially shifting its allegiance from traditional allies Russia and Iran. This move could pose a challenge to Iran, which has been supporting Lebanon’s Hezbollah group.
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