Of the “ cautious hopes » formulated by the United Nations, to calls to avoid “ chaos “, the international community has its eyes fixed on Syria on Sunday after a lightning offensive which ended half a century of rule by the Assad clan with the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
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After the fall ofBashar al-Assad following a dazzling offensive which brought the rebels to Damascus in less than two weeks, many countries around the world welcomed the fall of the Syrian president, who fled the country. Israel welcomed the fall of a “ central link ” of ” the axis of evil » led by theIran. L’Ukraineat war and invaded by Russia in 2022, she affirmed that “ dictators who bet on Putin » were doomed to fall. “ The state of barbarism has fallen », welcomed for his part the French president Emmanuel Macron. London also welcomed the fall of a “ barbaric regime “.
His fall is “ positive » and was “ long awaited » while showing “ also the weakness of Assad’s supporters, Russia and Iran », Said the head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, on X.
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The priority is to avoid “ chaos »
But countries around the world quickly focused on the post-Bashar era and closely scrutinized the transition taking place in the country. “ Today we look to the future with cautious hopes of openness…peace, reconciliation, dignity and inclusion for all Syrians “, said the United Nations envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, in a statement. Another neighbor of Syria, Iraq, called for “ respect » of the will of the Syrian people and keen to emphasize that “ Syria’s security, territorial integrity and independence are of paramount importance “.
France remained “ committed to the security of all in the Middle East » in the region. “ The priority now is to ensure that a political solution prevails », added the United Kingdom. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said: that it is now essential that law and order be quickly restored in Syria » and that the “ interference » foreigners in the country, an allusion in particular to Russia, Iran and Turkey. “ Spain will push, with all the countries most involved in the region (…), so that whatever the solution for the future of Syria, it is peaceful “, for his part affirmed the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, on the TVE channel.
For its part, Turkey, which has supported certain rebel groups, affirmed that it would intensify its work “ with countries in the region and international actors in the coming days » to ensure a “ smooth transition “. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who is attending the Doha Forum in Qatar, told X that Turkey wanted to help Syria ” guarantee its unity ” And ” his safety “.
For his part, a senior United Arab Emirates official, Anwar Gargash, advisor to the Emirati president, urged Syrians on Sunday to “ work together ” to avoid ” chaos », in front of the Manama Dialogue conference in Bahrain. However, he refused to confirm or deny reports that the Syrian president had taken refuge in the United Arab Emirates. “ It is ultimately a footnote to history “. “ I don’t think it matters » to know where he is, added the Emirati official, pressed with questions by journalists.
Finally, Qatar also urged to do everything to prevent Syria from “ descend into chaos “, while Jordan called on its citizens to leave Syrian territory ” as soon as possible “.
The pursuit of “ friendly relations » with Syria
On the side of Bashar al-Assad’s allies, reactions are rather lukewarm. There Russiawho has been one of the main supporters of the Syrian regime, claimed that Bashar al-Assad had “ resigned from his position » and left Syria. Iran, another unwavering supporter of Bashar al-Assad and whose embassy in Damascus was ransacked by demonstrators after the fall of the capital to the rebels, said he wanted the continuation of “ friendly relations » with Syria.
For its part, China is closely following developments in Syria and hopes that the country will return to stability as soon as possible », Wrote the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release. While Russia and Iran have been Syria’s closest supporters in recent years, Damascus’s ties with China have strengthened. China is one of the few countries outside the Middle East that Bashar al-Assad has visited since the start of Syria’s civil war in 2011, with Chinese President Xi Jinping announcing with his Syrian counterpart a ” strategic partnership “.
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