Syrian foreign minister arrives in Pakistan for historic first visit in 19 years

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani arrived in Islamabad on Thursday, leading a high-level delegation to review bilateral relations and regional security developments with Pakistani leadership.

The trip marks the first visit by a Syrian foreign minister to Pakistan in 19 years, and the highest-level diplomatic exchange since Damascus established a transitional administration in late 2024.

Why is the Syrian foreign minister visiting Pakistan?

Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani accepted an invitation from Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to conduct a two-day official visit focused on expanding cooperation across economic, trade, and defense sectors. The Syrian delegation is scheduled to hold delegation-level talks with Foreign Minister Dar, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and senior Pakistani officials.

The bilateral discussions will address the full spectrum of Pakistan-Syria relations alongside pressing international developments. The visit represents the first trip by Syria's top diplomat to Islamabad since former Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem traveled to Pakistan in May 2007.

The diplomatic engagement comes shortly after Pakistan issued a formal statement condemning recent Israeli airstrikes targeting the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria's Idlib province. Official reporting from Anadolu Agency notes that Pakistan's Foreign Office characterized the airstrikes as an unprovoked violation of Syrian sovereignty that risks destabilizing regional security.

How does the visit fit into broader regional conflict dynamics?

The high-level visit takes place amid heightened regional friction driven by the US-Iran war. Iranian military leaders recently warned neighboring Gulf nations against assisting American forces, asserting that providing operational support to Washington would be treated as direct participation in military action against Tehran.

Radio Pakistan reports Pakistan's active diplomatic role in facilitating communication between Washington and Tehran throughout the conflict. Official statements published by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) confirm that both countries aim to deepen communication channels to promote regional stability and economic recovery.

Concurrently in Islamabad, Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution bin Ismail arrived for a two-day official visit at the invitation of Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. Reporting by Yeni Şafak confirms that Malaysian and Pakistani officials are holding parallel security talks to strengthen law enforcement cooperation.