US wants Czech Republic to stay as protecting power for its interests in Syria: Blinken

Washington would like the Czech Republic to continue serving as the protecting power for US interests in Syria, the top American diplomat said on Wednesday.

Prague has served this role since 2012 after the US shuttered its embassy in Damascus and cut off diplomatic ties with the Assad regime.

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“The Secretary affirmed the US desire to continue this arrangement and expressed appreciation for Czechia’s willingness to help US citizens in Syria, even after the fall of Bashar al-Assad,” State Department Spokesman Matt Miller said.

The US and other Western governments have designated “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” (HTS), a large force behind the fall of the Assad regime, as a terror group due to its roots in al-Qaeda’s Syria branch. But Washington has made “direct contact” with HTS, Blinken said over the weekend, without elaborating. Widespread sanctions are also in place against Syrians, including HTS.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský also discussed Prague’s “significant military, political, and humanitarian aid” to Ukraine and bilateral efforts to support Taiwan and work against challenges posed by China, Miller said.

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