The first international commercial flight since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar Assad landed on Tuesday at the Damascus airport, arriving from Qatar. A Royal Jordanian Airlines plane departed for Damascus on a test flight to evaluate the technical condition of the airport before resuming regular flights.
Following the recent lightning rebel offensive that unseated Assad, Arab and Western countries have been reopening diplomatic relations with Syria’s new de facto authorities, led by the Islamist former insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Syria’s new foreign minister has been engaging in diplomatic visits to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan to strengthen ties and discuss cooperation in various sectors.
Notably, the Gulf countries are expected to play a significant role in funding Syria’s reconstruction efforts after nearly 14 years of civil war that preceded Assad's ouster. The officials from Syria and Jordan are set to discuss cooperation in areas such as borders, security, energy, transportation, water, trade, and other vital sectors.
Under Assad's rule, Jordan had been a key route for smuggling Captagon amphetamines produced in Syria into Gulf states, causing tension between the two countries. However, Syria's new authorities have taken steps to crack down on the Captagon trade, dismantling former production facilities in various locations across the country.
