Atlanta, United States of America (CNN)–The US State Department expressed, on Friday, its “deep disappointment and dismay” over the visit of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to the United Arab Emirates, earlier on Friday.
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, met the Syrian President, on Assad’s first visit to an Arab country since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011.
The meeting took place at the Shati Palace, and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi expressed his wishes that “this visit will be the beginning of good, peace and stability for sisterly Syria and the entire region,” he said.
The UAE Prime Minister, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, also received Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the Syrian President in Dubai.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States was “deeply disappointed and disturbed” by Assad’s visit, calling it a “clear attempt to legitimize” the Syrian leader “who remains responsible and accountable for the death and suffering of countless Syrians, and the displacement of More than half of the Syrian population before the war, and the arbitrary arrest and disappearance of more than 150,000 Syrian men, women and children.”
“As Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has emphasized, we do not support others’ normalization of relations with Assad,” Price added, “and we’ve been clear about this with our partners.”
“We urge countries considering dealing with the Assad regime to think carefully about the horrific atrocities the regime has committed against Syrians over the past decade, as well as the regime’s ongoing efforts to prevent much humanitarian and security assistance from reaching Syria,” he added.
Price said that his country “will not lift or cancel sanctions and do not support the reconstruction of Syria until there is irreversible progress towards a political solution, which we have not seen.”
He added, “We believe that stability in Syria and the region can only be achieved through a political process that represents the will of all Syrians, and we are committed to working with allies, partners and the United Nations for a lasting political solution.”