Syria appoints Foreign Minister

Syria’s new rulers have appointed a foreign minister, the official Syrian news agency (SANA) reported on Saturday, marking a step in their efforts to build international relations two weeks after the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad.

The ruling General Command named Asaad Hassan al-Shibani as foreign minister, SANA said. A source in the new administration told Reuters that this step “comes in response to the aspirations of the Syrian people to establish international relations that bring peace and stability.”

Shibani, a 37-year-old graduate of Damascus University, previously led the political department of a rebel government in Syria’s north-western province of Idlib, the General Command said.