Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani arrived in Islamabad late on Wednesday for an official visit at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (Geo News).
He was received at the airport by the Foreign Ministry’s additional secretary (Middle East), accompanied by a high-level delegation, for a visit running August 19 to 20. The two sides are to discuss the full range of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international developments.
The visit follows Pakistan’s condemnation of an Israeli attack on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria’s Idlib province (Geo News).
Israel struck the base near Aleppo on Tuesday and said Syria was on the verge of permitting Turkish troops to deploy there — which is the detail that makes this more than a routine strike. A Turkish military presence in northern Syria would place a NATO member’s forces close to Israeli operations, and Turkiye is a signatory of the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement alongside Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
The Foreign Office called the attack a flagrant violation of international law with the potential to undermine regional peace, expressed “unwavering solidarity with the brotherly people of Syria” and reiterated support for Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity. It called on the international community to end repeated violations by Israeli forces and to hold them accountable.
Pakistan does not recognise Israel and has consistently backed Syrian territorial integrity. Relations with Damascus have been recalibrated since the fall of the Assad government, and this is among the more senior Syrian visits to Islamabad in years.
