The latest indication
that full diplomatic contacts with the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad
may be about to resume is the Friday statement by Tunisian President Kais Saied
that he wishes to see ambassadors appointed to both Tunisia and Syria.
According to a meeting
video shared on Facebook by the president's office, Saied informed the foreign
minister, Nabil Ammar, “A decision must be made on this matter.”
To protest Assad's
ruthless assault on pro-democracy protests in 2011, which turned into a civil
war and resulted in hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths and millions of
displaced people, Tunisia severed diplomatic ties with Syria nearly ten years
ago.
After Saied assumed
nearly complete power in July 2021 in what his political rivals have referred
to as a coup, Tunisia has made it clear it is open to changing its attitude
toward Syria in international relations.
In 2017, Tunisia
reactivated a small diplomatic presence in Syria, in part to assist in the
tracking of the more than 3,000 Tunisian militants fighting there.
Although Tunisia added
a diplomat to its diplomatic mission in Damascus last month, it is widely
anticipated that the foreign ministry will soon nominate an ambassador
thereafter the president stated that a choice must be made.
Political analysts say
that Assad is attempting to gain political advantage from the earthquakes that
occurred in Syria and Turkey last month by pushing for foreign help to be
supplied through his territory in an effort to lessen his current level of
isolation internationally.
Including rescue and
civil protection personnel, Tunisia sent relief aircraft to Syria, which landed
at Aleppo airport under the control of Assad's administration.