South Korea and Syria have formally established diplomatic relations, in another milestone for the transitional government of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
The move has also dealt a blow to Seoul’s archenemy, North Korea, which once counted Syria as a friend under the regime of now-deposed President Bashar al-Assad.
Diplomatic ties were formalised on Thursday in Damascus between South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.
During the ceremony, Cho said South Korea was ready to help aid Syria’s recovery from its 13-year civil war through business investment and humanitarian assistance.
Al-Shaibani said he hoped that Seoul would support the easing of international sanctions that remain on Damascus, according to a readout from South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The establishment of formal ties concludes talks that began in February with approval given by Seoul’s cabinet, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, and comes as both countries are in the middle of major political transitions.
In December, opposition forces in Syria overthrew President al-Assad, whose family ruled the country for more than 50 years. A transitional government was sworn in on March 30 under the leadership of President al-Sharaa, who previously led anti-Assad forces during Syria’s civil war.
The focus of al-Sharaa’s government is on returning stability to Syria, which is still struggling with violent clashes months after the fall of Assad.
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol was formally impeached last week after parliament received support from the country’s Constitutional Court for his removal from office.
Yoon set off a political crisis in December when he briefly declared martial law, claiming that “antistate” and North Korean forces had infiltrated the government.
South Korea is now headed by an acting president, and voters will choose Yoon’s replacement during a snap election in June.
With the addition of Damascus, Seoul now has diplomatic ties with all 191 UN members, including the Holy See in Rome.
Last year, Seoul and Cuba, another North Korean ally, established diplomatic ties in a surprise move that ended decades of isolation.
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