Syria and Japan Announce Resumption of Relations, Opening a New Chapter of Cooperation

ARK News.. Syria and Japan have announced the resumption of diplomatic relations, marking the beginning of a new chapter in bilateral cooperation and emphasizing the need to accelerate and strengthen ties between the two countries.

The announcement followed a meeting held on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, at Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in Damascus, bringing together Mohammed Zakaria Lababidi,

Director of the Department of Asian, African, and Oceanian Affairs, and Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Yoheni Onishi, in the presence of senior officials from both sides.

Discussions highlighted the importance of Japan’s role in supporting Syria’s development, recovery, and reconstruction efforts, as well as prospects for expanding economic cooperation. The two sides also stressed the need to encourage Japanese investors to explore investment opportunities in the Syrian market in a manner that serves the mutual interests of both countries.

In statements published on its official platforms, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the visit represents the highest-level visit by a Japanese official to Syria in more than 15 years.

For his part, the Japanese deputy foreign minister said the visit constitutes an official declaration of the resumption of relations between Syria and Japan, marking the beginning of a new phase of cooperation.

Both sides reaffirmed the importance of accelerating and enhancing bilateral cooperation. During the meeting, the Japanese official also extended a formal invitation to Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani to visit Japan.

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