DAMASCUS, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Damascus International Airport resumed international operations on Tuesday with flights to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar as the interim administration in Syria continues to bolster ties with Gulf countries.
The first flight departed on Tuesday morning for Sharjah, UAE, while a separate aircraft arrived from Doha, the first civilian flight from Qatar in 13 years, airport officials said.
The resumption of air travel follows the collapse of the previous regime in December and signals potential warming ties between Syria's new government and its Gulf neighbors.
Syria's interim Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani recently held talks in Doha with Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, breaking years of diplomatic freeze between the two nations.
The Doha meetings focused on Syria's reconstruction and transition, with both sides expressing interest in economic and diplomatic cooperation, according to officials familiar with the talks.
Al-Shibani also visited the UAE on Monday as part of a broader Gulf tour aimed at establishing relationships with the new Syrian leadership. ■