Syria's President Bashar al-Assad addresses the new members of parliament in Damascus, Syria, in this handout released by SANA on August 12, 2020. ( Credit: SANA/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo)
The United Arab Emirates has invited Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the COP28 climate summit it is hosting at the end of the year, possibly placing him in the same venue as Western leaders who have opposed and sanctioned him for years.
The invitation was extended by UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Syrian state news agency SANA reported after the UAE embassy in Damascus tweeted the same.
Fellow Arab states are warming up to Syria again after isolating Assad for over a decade following his deadly crackdown on street protests that spiraled into a brutal civil war.
Bilateral diplomatic relations ramped up in the wake of the devastating Feb. 6 earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey. Then, last week, the Arab League readmitted Syria and Saudi Arabia invited Assad to the League summit in Jeddah on Friday.
While Arab countries including the UAE have actively sought to re-establish ties with Damascus, the United States is sceptical and has said that it does not see the merit in Assad's re-admission to the Arab League.
Thousands of world leaders, diplomats and dignitaries are expected to attend the COP28 climate summit in Dubai in December.