COP28: UAE invite Assad, dictator of Syria – 05/16/2023 – Environment
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The UAE has invited Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad to the COP28 climate summit the UAE will host later this year, possibly putting him in the same spot as Western leaders who have opposed and sanctioned him for years.
The invitation was extended by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Syrian state news agency SANA reported, after the Emirati embassy in Damascus tweeted the same.
“COP28 is committed to an inclusive COP process that produces transformative solutions,” a summit spokesman said in an emailed statement to Reuters. “That can only happen if we’re all in the room.”
Thousands of world leaders, diplomats and dignitaries are expected to attend the UN summit in Dubai in December.
Other Arab states are reaching out to Syria again after isolating Assad for more than a decade following his deadly crackdown on street protests that escalated into a brutal civil war.
Bilateral diplomatic relations have intensified after the devastating February 6 earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey. Then, last week, the Arab League readmitted Syria, and Saudi Arabia invited Assad to the League’s summit in Jeddah on Friday.
While Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, have actively sought to re-establish ties with Damascus, the United States is skeptical and has said it sees no merit in Assad’s readmission to the Arab League.
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