Syrian Foreign Policy under Bashar al-Assad, 2000-2010

Author(s): Bhaneshwar Meena

Abstract:

The Syrian Foreign Policy had a heavy imprint of personality during presidency of Hafez al-Assad (1970-2000) who was seen as a strong leader. Hafez al-Assad navigated the turbulent regional and global politics skilfully and made sure that Syrian interests were protected. It was Hafez’s personality that provided Syria a steady leadership and made it a key regional player. Some of the key characteristics of his policy were anti-imperialism, close alliance with Soviet Union and staunch support to Palestinian cause. Hafez was succeeded by his son Bashar al-Assad in 2000. Bashar, unlike his father, was perceived to be a soft spoken, liberal kind of person. It was expected that he would reconfigure the approach of Syrian foreign policy towards West and would normalize ties with Israel. The foreign policy approach of Bashar al-Assad, however, was not on expected lines. He shaped the Syrian foreign policy in a manner that had a considerable influence of his personality and leadership. This paper looks into the significant events and decisions that defined Syrian foreign policy during first decade of presidency of Bashar al-Assad. This paper explores the continuity and change in Syrian foreign policy under Bashar al-Assad, offering a comprehensive examination of how his leadership influenced Syria’s interactions with key regional and international actors from 2000 till 2010.

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Pages: 80-84     |    1 View     |    0 Download