![Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa (R) meets Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Samir Sharifov at the People’s Palace in Damascus, Syria on May 04, 2025. [İzettin Kasım - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/AA-20250504-37843104-37843102-AHMED_SHARAASAMIR_SHARIFOV_MEETING_IN_DAMASCUS-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
An Azerbaijani delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Samir Sharifov visited Syria yesterday under the instruction of President Ilham Aliyev, aiming to strengthen bilateral cooperation with the country’s interim leadership and support Syria’s reconstruction efforts.
The delegation was received by Syria’s transitional President Ahmad Al-Sharaa in Damascus, where both sides discussed opportunities for collaboration in key areas including the economy, energy, culture, and education. The visit follows up on a meeting between Al-Sharaa and Aliyev last month at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, where the two leaders reportedly explored the potential for closer ties.
#Syria:President al-Sharaa receives #Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister at the People’s Palace in Damascushttps://t.co/ojvLNNOp4v pic.twitter.com/eCiXI3vbft
— SANAEnglishOfficial (@SANAEnOfficial) May 4, 2025
Sharifov delivered a letter from President Aliyev to the Syrian head of state, which included an official invitation for Al-Sharaa to visit Azerbaijan. According to Azerbaijani media, the delegation’s trip builds on a prior official visit to Damascus in December and coincides with Azerbaijan’s decision to reopen its embassy in the Syrian capital after a 12-year hiatus.
The visit also follows humanitarian assistance provided by Baku to Syria in January, in what appears to be a growing policy of re-engagement by Azerbaijan in post-war Arab states.
In addition to meeting Al-Sharaa, the Azerbaijani delegation held talks with several Syrian ministers, including Foreign Minister Asad Hasan Al-Shibani, Economy Minister Nidal Al-Shaar, Energy Minister Mohammad Al-Bashir, Culture Minister Muhammad Yasin Saleh, and Education Minister Mohammed Abdul Rahman Turko.
Both sides reviewed potential avenues of cooperation in Syria’s post-conflict reconstruction, including possible Azerbaijani support in infrastructure, oil and gas, and education development.
The meetings signal a notable shift in Turkish ally, Azerbaijan’s foreign policy posture toward Damascus, as Syria’s transitional leadership seeks to rebuild ties in the region after more than a decade of isolation.
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