FM meets UAE president in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with UAE leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 25.

The meeting focused on enhancing cooperation in various fields. It was followed by Fidan's discussions with Ali Mohammed Hammad Al Shamsi, the secretary-general of the UAE Supreme National Security Council.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed the talks, but no further details about the conversations were disclosed.

Earlier this week, Fidan discussed developments in Syria with his Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, in a phone call, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.

The two ministers also discussed the meetings they held in the Syrian capital Damascus. During his visit, Fidan held a joint news conference with the leader of the new Syrian administration, Ahmad al-Sharaa.

Fidan said Syria has entered a "new chapter" with the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. He fled to Russia on Dec. 8 after anti-regime forces, led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, captured Damascus in a swift 12-day offensive.