SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has established diplomatic relations with Syria’s new Islamist authorities, Seoul’s overseas ministry stated Friday, months after a insurgent coalition ousted President Bashar Assad, who had maintained shut ties with North Korea. South Korean International Minister Cho Tae-yul traveled to Damascus on Thursday to signal a joint communique with Syrian International Minister Asaad al-Shaibani establishing formal diplomatic relations—a transfer the South Korean ministry stated opens new alternatives for bilateral cooperation beforehand hindered by Syria’s “shut ties with North Korea.”
Cho through the talks conveyed Seoul’s willingness to help Syria’s reconstruction efforts following the 13-year civil struggle, a course of that he stated may finally contain South Korean companies, and to increase humanitarian assist.
Al-Shaibani welcomed the prospect of South Korean contributions to Syria’s reconstruction and expressed hope for Seoul’s help in easing worldwide sanctions on Damascus, the South Korean ministry stated.
South Korea now has diplomatic relations with all 191 U.N. member states aside from its war-divided rival, North Korea. Relations between the Koreas at the moment are at their worst in years as North Korean chief Kim Jong Un continues to flaunt his nuclear weapons and missile program and supply arms and troops to Russia to gas its warfighting in Ukraine.
North Korean state media didn’t instantly touch upon South Korea establishing ties with Syria.
South Korea additionally established diplomatic relations with Cuba final yr, which the Seoul authorities then claimed would deal a “political and psychological blow” to the North, whose diplomatic footing is essentially depending on a restricted variety of Chilly Struggle allies.
