Syrian authorities appoint HTS figures as foreign, defence ministers

Syria’s new rulers have appointed a foreign and defence minister, the official Syrian news agency SANA reports, as they seek to build international relations two weeks after Bashar al-Assad was ousted.

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

Murhaf Abu Qasra was named defence minister in the interim government, an official source told Reuters. Abu Qasra, who is also known by the nom de guerre Abu Hassan 600, is a senior figure in the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, which led the opposition forces that forced out al-Assad.

Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar, reporting from Damascus, said Abu Qasra and al-Shibani were “very much close” to HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. “This is raising questions whether HTS is forming its own government or Syria’s government,” he noted.

“So far, 14 ministers have been appointed, and all of them are close allies or friends of al-Sharaa.”