Ukrainian flag soars over Honorary Consulate in Syria's Damascus
Photo: video screenshot / X/ Andrii Sybiha
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha solemnly raised the Ukrainian flag over the Honorary Consulate of Ukraine in Damascus. Representatives of the Ukrainian community and Honorary Consul General Tamer Altunsi attended the ceremony.
The head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported this on his page on the X platform.
During a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Interim Government of Syria, Asaad Hassan al-Sheibani, Sybiha emphasized Ukraine's readiness to start a new chapter in bilateral relations. He noted that cooperation is possible only on the condition of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Photo: Screenshot from video / X / Andrii Sybiha
This step testifies to Ukraine's desire to establish diplomatic dialogue even under challenging conditions of international relations.
Today, I had the honor of raising the Ukrainian flag over our Honorary Consulate in Damascus.
Alongside Honorary Consul General Tamer Altounsi and members of our community. I thanked them for preserving the Ukrainian language and culture.
Our people are our number one priority. pic.twitter.com/4doeeDfn2E
— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) December 30, 2024
For reference:
History of diplomatic relations:
- diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Syria were first established in 1992.
- 2016: Ukraine closed its embassy in Syria in protest against the crimes of the Bashar al-Assad regime.
- 2018: Syria closed its embassy in Kyiv.
- 2022: Ukraine severed diplomatic relations with Syria after the latter recognized the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions occupied by Russia.
- Syria also decided to sever diplomatic relations with Ukraine on the principle of reciprocity.
- However, after the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime as a result of the rebel offensive in Syria, Ukraine began to talk about the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Syria.
As the spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Heorhiy Tykhyi, recently stated, Ukraine has established contact with the new Syrian authorities and is ready to restore diplomatic relations, particularly if the new government changes the decision of the Assad regime, which recognized the violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity.
Ukrainian delegation meets with new Syrian leader in Damascus
Russia recruits Syrians for war in Ukraine – Ukrainian intelligence
Russian drone operators trained in Syria for war against Ukraine – UA intelligence
