Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said discussions with a Qatari delegation in Damascus Thursday included reconstruction in the war-torn country, during the first visit by a head of state since Bashar al-Assad's ouster.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani will visit Damascus on Thursday, Qatar's Al Jazeera reported, as Syria's new interim government begins a political transition after Islamist rebels ousted the Assad regime last year.

Syria has demanded reparations from Russia in order to "rebuild trust" after a meeting between Damascus' new administration and a Moscow delegation, according to local news sources. Russia and Syria's meeting to discuss future relations comes as Moscow looks to retain its two military bases in the Middle Eastern country.

The rebel chief who led the overthrow of the longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad has been declared the head of government for a transitional period.

Officials in Syria's caretaker government were left with a state in ruins. Some fear they aren't moving fast enough to fix it

With Syria's corruption-ridden economy in shambles after the overthrow of Bashar Assad, the caretaker government’s priority is to raise cash and bring stability.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani became the first head of state to visit Damascus since the ousting of Bashar Assad, arriving in

Syria has entered a transitional phase with its de facto leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, appointed as President, Al Jazeera reported, citing the state-run news agency SANA. Al-Sharaa has been given the authority to establish a temporary legislative body that will function until a new constitution is implemented.

The rebel coalition that seized control of Syria last month appointed its leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, as president of the country to preside over a transitional period, Syrian state media reported Wednesday.

By bnm Gulf bureau Russian forces have begun withdrawing from Syria, with two cargo vessels, the Sparta II and Sparta, departing from the port of Tartus on January 30, carrying significant military equipment.