Syria's new Islamist rulers said on Sunday that U.S. sanctions on Syria were an obstacle to the war-torn country's rapid recovery and urged Washington to lift them during a visit by Syrian officials to Qatar.

Syria’s new foreign minister has met with his Qatari counterpart and Qatar’s prime minister in Doha on Sunday.

A Qatari Air Force plane carrying 31 tonnes of food aid landed in the Syrian capital of Damascus, as part of the country's ongoing air bridge initiative to support the Syrian people, the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced.

Saudi Arabia and others are overlooking the new leadership’s jihadist past, hoping to gain an advantage on rivals in the strategically positioned country.

Syria’s new Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani arrived in the Qatari capital Doha on Sunday, marking his first visit to the Gulf country. Shaibani is accompanied by Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and intelligence chief Anas Khattab during the visit,

Doha: The State of Qatar has always been backing Syria's unity, Sovereignty and independence, and its people's state-building aspirations, after a years-long war that demolished many of the country's capacities, said Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari.

"These sanctions constitute a barrier and an obstacle to the rapid recovery and development of the Syrian people who await services and partnerships from other countries," Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said after meeting with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who also serves as foreign minister.

A series of moves took place across Syria on Tuesday as the new authorities seek to restore normalcy and tackle longstanding infrastructure challenge

The country’s new leaders are pushing to restore a sense of normalcy. But Syria remains under a host of international sanctions imposed during the Assad regime.

Ministers from Syria's transitional government urged the United States to lift its sanctions on Damascus during their first visit to Qatar since overthrowing president Bashar al-Assad.The interim foreign minister called the measures a "barrier and an obstacle to the rapid recovery" telling local media that his government "renewed our demand for the United States of America to lift these sanctions".

Damascus International Airport received its first civilian flight from Doha on Tuesday, marking the first arrival from Qatar in 13 years, according to airport officials. (Photo by Monsef Memari/Xinhua

Qatar is weighing a plan to provide Syria's new rulers with funds to increase public sector salaries, a diplomatic source said Thursday, as the interim government in Damascus seeks to rebuild state institutions.