Qatar delegation to visit Syria Sunday: Qatari diplomat

A delegation from Qatar is due to visit Syria on Sunday for meetings with officials in its transitional government following the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad, a Qatari diplomat told AFP Friday.

"The first Qatari delegation visit to Syria is expected to happen Sunday where they will take the necessary steps to reopen the embassy and discuss enhancing aid delivery," the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the visit.

Doha closed its diplomatic mission in Damascus and recalled its ambassador in July 2011 after an uprising against the Assad government turned into a civil war.

Unlike other Arab countries, Qatar never restored diplomatic ties with Syria under Assad, who was toppled over the weekend by an Islamist-led rebel advance that swept through major cities and then the capital Damascus.

The diplomat said officials from Qatar's foreign ministry would join the delegation and described as "untrue" "reports about a previous visit by (the) Qatari intelligence chief to Damascus".

This week, an official briefed on developments said Qatar had "established the first channel of communication" with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which spearheaded the ouster of the former government in Damascus.

The official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions, added the "focus of the communication with HTS and others is on the need... to maintain calm and preserve Syria's public institutions during the transition period."

Qatar said on Wednesday that it would soon reopen its embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus "after completing the necessary arrangements".

The move aimed to "strengthen the close historical fraternal ties between the two countries", foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said in a statement.

It also sought to "enhance coordination with relevant authorities to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid currently provided by Qatar to the Syrian people" via an air bridge, the statement added.