Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani renewed Sunday his government’s demand for the United States to lift its sanctions on the country.
He made the call during an interview with reporters on the sidelines of his first visit to Qatar, where he met senior Qatari officials.
Shaibani is accompanied by Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and intelligence chief Anas Khattab during the visit, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported.
Sunday’s visit marks the first official visit to Qatar by officials of Syria’s new administration since the fall of the Bashar Assad regime last month to explore opportunities of cooperation between the two countries, SANA said.
In a statement, Qatar's Foreign Ministry confirmed the Gulf country's premier met the three Syrian officials.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani "reiterated the State of Qatar's position in support of Syria's unity, sovereignty and independence," the statement said.
The interim foreign minister called the measures a "barrier and an obstacle to the rapid recovery" telling local media that his government "renewed our demand for the United States of America to lift these sanctions."
At the end of December, Qatar also called for the quick removal of sanctions on Syria.
The international community has not rushed to lift economic restrictions on Syria and is instead waiting to see how the new authorities exercise their power.
Shaibani added that Syria would "enjoy very good relations with the region" in contrast to those with the Assad government.
Al-Khulaifi said the new government had presented "a clear roadmap for Syria in the near future and the steps that will be taken by the leadership and political administration in Syria."
The conflict in Syria erupted in 2011 after Assad brutally cracked down on peaceful democracy protests.
It morphed into a multi-pronged war in which Doha was for years a key backer of the opposition.
