Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani held talks with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Monday to discuss developments in Gaza and Syria.
The Qatari Foreign Ministry said in a statement that bin Abdulrahman discussed bilateral relations and regional developments, especially the situation in Gaza and Syria, during a phone call with Lammy.
Qatar, along with Egypt and the US, has been mediating a cease-fire and prisoner swap deal between Israel and Hamas to end Tel Aviv's genocidal war on Gaza that has killed more than 45,800 people, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.
The mediation has so far failed to make a breakthrough due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to halt the war.
Regarding Syria, the Qatari premier reaffirmed his country's support for "Syria's unity, sovereignty, and independence, achieving the aspirations of the Syrian people for a dignified life and the establishment of a state based on institutions and the rule of law," the statement said.
On Sunday, Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani held talks with Qatari officials in Doha to discuss bilateral ties and reopened his country's embassy in the Gulf state.
Bashar Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party's decades-long regime.
The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.
A new administration led by Ahmed al-Sharaa has now taken charge.
