Syrian opposition denies Omani bias towards the regime

The Syrian National Coalition has denied that Oman has any bias towards the regime of Bashar Al-Assad. The chairman of the media and public relations bureau of the coalition made this clear following the visit by Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf Bin Alawi’s to Damascus on Monday. However, there was no coordination for the trip, said Ahmad Ramadan.

“The visit was part of Omani efforts to push things towards a political solution for the Syrian conflict,” he insisted. Oman, he insisted, is keen to play a role.

Ramadan revealed that the coalition chairman, Khaled Khoja, visited Muscat last week but did not discuss any Omani mediation while he was in the sultanate. “The coalition does not want mediation,” he added.

Alawi’s was the first visit by a Gulf State foreign minister to Syria since the outbreak of the revolution in 2011.

According to Anadolu, the Syrian and Omani officials discussed bilateral relations between Syria and the Sultanate of Oman, not least the leaderships’ keenness to continue their cooperation and coordination to strengthen relations between the two nations. They believe that this will serve the security and stability of the region and preserve the interests of their peoples. The latest developments in the region were also on the agenda, including the “war on terrorism” in the country.

Assad welcomed the Omani efforts to help the Syrian people achieve their aspirations, wrote Anadolu, including “putting an end to terrorism and preserve the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The Omani minister, the report added, stressed the keenness of the sultanate to preserve Syrian unity and stability.