By Simon Lewis
AQABA, Jordan (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Jordan’s King Abdullah in the Red Sea town of Aqaba on Thursday as he arrived in the region for talks on Syria following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad.
Blinken, who will head to Turkey later on Thursday, this week set out Washington’s hopes for Syria’s political transition, saying it would recognize a future Syrian government that amounts to a credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governing body.
Blinken will discuss U.S. priorities of ensuring Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles are secured and destroyed, facilitate the flow of humanitarian aid and that the country is not used as a “base of terrorism,” the State Department said.
Rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which the United States calls a terrorist organization, is playing a key role in Damascus after it led the ouster of Assad, ending a 50-year family dynasty in a swift takeover after 13 years of civil war.
Blinken, the top diplomat in the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden, will also meet Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday and will discuss Israel’s conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon during his trip, the State Department said.
(Reporting by Simon Lewis; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
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