Syria foreign minister to visit Pakistan on Wednesday: sources

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani will visit Islamabad on Wednesday for two days, a diplomatic source in Damascus told AFP on Tuesday, at the invitation of Pakistani officials to discuss bilateral cooperation.

When is Syria’s foreign minister visiting Pakistan?

Shaibani will be in Pakistan on Aug. 19 and 20 at the invitation of Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the diplomatic source said. It will be his first visit to Pakistan as Syria’s foreign minister since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

Other Syrian ministers have visited Islamabad since Assad’s fall, the source said. “There is hope that this visit will be the historic for bilateral cooperation,” the source added.

Shaibani is expected to meet Sharif as well as Pakistan’s ministers of defense and commerce during the two-day visit.

What will Syria and Pakistan discuss during the visit?

The two countries are expected to discuss defense, economic cooperation and reconciliation, according to the diplomatic source. The source said there is currently “no formal cooperation” between Syria and Pakistan.

The visit is expected to focus on areas where the two countries could develop bilateral ties following the change in Syria’s leadership.

Before Assad’s fall, Damascus and Islamabad maintained close relations, strengthened by reciprocal visits, political and military cooperation, and training exchanges.

How have Pakistan and Syria maintained relations?

After Syria’s civil war began in 2011, Pakistan opposed foreign military intervention and attempts to overthrow Assad by force. Islamabad affirmed its support for Syria’s unity and sovereignty throughout the conflict.

Pakistan also maintained its diplomatic representation in Damascus, keeping its embassy open during the conflict and after Assad’s overthrow.

The embassy remained open following the change in Syria’s leadership, while Islamabad continued to maintain diplomatic representation in the country.