According to the UAE Foreign Ministry, Abdullah reaffirmed the UAE’s "steadfast stance" in supporting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, emphasizing the importance

The country’s new leaders are pushing to restore a sense of normalcy. But Syria remains under a host of international sanctions imposed during the Assad regime.

DUBAI (Reuters) - UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed discussed bolstering "brotherly" ties with Syria during the first official visit by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani to the United Arab Emirates on Monday, Emirati state news agency WAM reported.

The two Mideast powerhouses have been trying to block the rise of Islamist groups in the region for two decades. The rebel takeover in Damascus will test that approach.

Foreign ministers from the UAE and Syria’s new government discussed strengthening relations at a meeting Monday during the first official Syrian visit to the Gulf country since the overthrow of president Bashar al-Assad.

Saudi Arabia and others are overlooking the new leadership’s jihadist past, hoping to gain an advantage on rivals in the strategically positioned country.

Jordan and Syria have agreed to form a joint security committee to secure their border, combat arms and drug smuggling and work to prevent the resurgence of Islamic State militants, the Jordanian foreign minister said on Tuesday.

Syria's new foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani landed in the United Arab Emirates Monday on his first visit to the country since rebels toppled President Bashar al-Assad last month, official news agency SANA said.

Asaad al-Shaibani said he would be representing his country on an official visit to Qatar, UAE, and Jordan, having just been to Saudi Arabia.

The first international flight has landed in Syria since the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad last month. The flight from Qatar landed around 1pm at Damascus International Airport, according to AFP correspondents, the first from the Gulf state in 13 years.

United Arab Emirates-based newspaper says the family of Syria’s dictator Bashar Al Assad controlled the nation’s scrap sales and flows.

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