By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday for a two-day official visit, marking the first trip by a Syrian foreign minister to Pakistan in 19 years and signaling a renewed push to strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar received his Syrian counterpart at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the two leaders held a tête-à-tête followed by delegation-level talks covering the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Syria bilateral relations.

The visit, which comes at Dar's invitation, is being viewed as an important milestone in efforts to further enhance Pakistan-Syria relations and advance cooperation between the two countries. The last Syrian foreign minister to visit Pakistan was Walid al-Mouallem, who traveled to Islamabad in May 2007.

Al-Shaibani, appointed foreign minister under President Sharaa's administration following the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, is accompanied by a high-level official delegation. While other Syrian cabinet ministers have visited Islamabad since the political transition, this trip carries greater diplomatic significance as the highest-level Syrian visit to date.

During the talks, the two sides reaffirmed the deep-rooted brotherly ties between Pakistan and Syria and discussed ways to further expand bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest. They also held in-depth discussions on regional and international developments, including the recent escalation of tensions in the Middle East.

The visit comes just one day after Pakistan strongly condemned Israeli airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur Airbase in Syria's Idlib province, describing the attack as "unprovoked" and a "flagrant violation of international law". Islamabad expressed its "unwavering solidarity" with the Syrian people and reiterated its full support for Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Al-Shaibani is also expected to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials during his stay in Islamabad.

Pakistan and Syria formally established diplomatic relations in December 1949, and their relationship has historically included military cooperation and training exchanges. Pakistan's embassy in Damascus remained open following the fall of the Assad regime, and bilateral cooperation is now poised for revival after remaining limited over the past two years