Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al Shaibani is set to arrive in Islamabad for a two-day visit to Pakistan, the Pakistani foreign ministry said, the first such trip in nearly two decades.
Al Shaibani will be in Pakistan on Wednesday and Thursday at the invitation of his counterpart Ishaq Dar, the ministry said in a statement.
"During the visit, the two sides will hold in-depth discussions across the entire spectrum of bilateral relations, review avenues for further enhancing bilateral cooperation, and exchange views on regional and international developments," said the foreign ministry.
“The visit marks an important step towards further enhancing Pakistan-Syria relations and advancing cooperation between the two countries."
The trip will mark the highest-level visit by a Syrian official to Pakistan since the overthrow of the Assad regime in December 2024, although other Syrian cabinet ministers have visited Islamabad since then.
It will also be the first visit by a Syrian foreign minister to Pakistan in 19 years.
In addition to talks with Dar, al Shaibani is expected to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other top officials.
A Pakistani delegation met al Shaibani in Damascus last June.
In a phone call this March, the Pakistani prime minister discussed the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East with Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa.
Renewed contacts
Al Shaibani was appointed foreign minister under Sharaa’s administration following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.
His visit comes as Islamabad "strongly" condemned an unprovoked attack carried out by Israel on the Abu al-Duhur Airbase in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province.
The two sides are expected to discuss ways to revive and expand cooperation in various fields, including the economy and defence, according to the source.
Islamabad and Damascus have maintained relations for decades, strengthened by military cooperation and training exchanges.
Pakistan’s Embassy in Damascus remained open following Assad’s overthrow, although bilateral cooperation between the two countries has remained limited over the past two years.
Pakistan and Syria formally established diplomatic relations in December 1949, two years after the creation of Pakistan.
Bilateral trade between Pakistan and Syria remains modest, totalling some $8.49 million.
