Damascus, September 27 (QNA) - Syria is moving to rebuild its ties with its Arab neighbors through political, security and economic efforts aimed at replacing years of tension and isolation with relations based on shared interests and mutual cooperation.

This shift is reflected in efforts to expand cooperation on border security, combating smuggling, trade, energy, investment and reconstruction, signaling a move from political rapprochement towards partnerships grounded in shared interests.

Syrian researchers explained the most significant change in the country’s foreign policy is a move to define regional relations in terms of state interests and sovereignty, rather than alignment with regional blocs. They noted the success of this approach will depend on Damascus’s ability to turn political rapprochement into security and economic cooperation and joint projects.

An academic and researcher in domestic and international politics, Dr. Abdul Majeed Al Wais, told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the fundamental change in Syrian foreign policy lies in redefining Syria’s national interest around the state and its direct relations with other countries. He explained that this has made rebuilding trust with the Arab world a priority, beginning with neighboring countries and extending to the Gulf states and other Arab capitals.

Syria’s new approach combines diplomatic, security and economic efforts, which he believes could help rebuild Arab relations on the basis of shared interests and mutual cooperation. He said Syrian-Qatari relations offer an example of the kind of partnerships Damascus seeks to build.

For his part, an academic and researcher specializing in Middle Eastern politics, Dr. Amer Al Nimr, said Syria’s political transition had created a need to rebuild relations with Arab countries amid economic and security challenges, as well as issues concerning borders, population movements and reconstruction.

In a separate interview with QNA, Dr. Al Nimr said Syria’s new foreign policy appeared more inclined to diversify its partnerships rather than confine its foreign relations to a single direction. He noted its focus on sovereignty, non-interference and broader political and economic cooperation, describing neighboring Arab countries as natural partners in this outreach.

Addressing the security issues that had strained Syria’s relations with its neighbors could help rebuild trust, particularly if Syrian institutions coordinated with neighboring countries to secure borders and combat smuggling networks, he added.

The development of Syrian-Qatari relations from political and diplomatic support to economic and development issues reflects a shift towards a partnership on multiple levels, Dr. Al Nimr said. Such developments, he added, show that the relationship is moving beyond political solidarity towards cooperation in areas directly linked to economic recovery and institution-building.

Dr. Al Nimr stressed that Syria’s geographic location could create opportunities in transport, energy and trade, alongside its need for substantial investment in infrastructure, production and services. Attracting that investment, however, would require a clearer legal and administrative framework, as well as effective procedures for company registration, capital transfers, dispute resolution and investor protection.

In a related development, journalist and researcher in international affairs, Mustafa Nuaimi, said the shift in Syrian policy involved efforts to build state institutions better able to manage domestic and foreign affairs, alongside diplomatic outreach. He said the stability of key state institutions, particularly the interior, defense and foreign ministries, would play an important role in reshaping Syria’s relations with its regional and international partners.

Speaking to QNA, Nuaimi said Syria’s new foreign policy was based on shared needs and common interests in pursuit of lasting stability. He added that improved relations with Arab countries and the wider region had given Damascus greater scope to engage internationally.

Security, intelligence and military cooperation with neighboring countries had become one way to rebuild trust, particularly on border control and efforts to combat drug trafficking and arms smuggling. He described Syria’s shift from what he said was its previous association with drug production and trafficking to cooperation in combating those activities as one sign of the changing nature of its regional relations.

For his part, a researcher in political media and international law, Dr. Ayman Khaled, said the defining feature of the new phase was a shift from alignment with regional blocs towards a state-centered approach, with relations based on shared interests and mutual respect. He said Syria’s engagement with the Gulf states, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and other Arab countries reflected an effort to build a broad network of ties.

Dr. Khaled told QNA that border control and efforts to combat drug trafficking, smuggling and transnational crime were practical indicators of the shift in Syrian policy. Regional trust, he added, would be strengthened by actions on the ground, not political statements alone.

Syria’s relations in the next phase needed to encompass politics, economics, humanitarian interests and institutional cooperation, rather than political alignment alone. The durability of Syria’s renewed engagement with Arab countries, he added, would depend on whether it generated mutual economic benefits through trade, land transport routes, energy and investment, making regional cooperation part of economic recovery and the rebuilding of state institutions.

The real test would lie not in the number of visits or political statements, but in Damascus’s ability to turn this engagement into stable relations and shared interests. Syria’s Arab neighbors would be a key testing ground, particularly through its ties with Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan, alongside partnerships with Qatar, the Gulf states and other Arab countries, he added.

Researchers believe that transforming Arab openness into a sustainable path requires moving beyond political visits and contacts toward actionable projects; spanning energy, transport, trade, investment, infrastructure, industry, agriculture, and other sectors.

Syrian-Arab relations are moving towards a phase that goes beyond restoring political contacts to building ties rooted more firmly in shared interests and practical cooperation across security, economic and development fields. (QNA)