The foreign minister of Syria's interim government has visited Saudi Arabia and Qatar in a bid to establish new diplomatic relations.

Nation-building efforts have been underway in Syria since President Bashar al-Assad's administration collapsed last month. The Assad family ruled Syria for more than half a century.

International flights are expected to resume on Tuesday at an airport in the capital Damascus.

Asaad Hassan al-Shibani visited Saudi Arabia last week on his first trip abroad as foreign minister. On Sunday, he visited Qatar and met with Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, who also serves as foreign minister.

The Syrian side reported that Shibani described a roadmap for rebuilding the nation and establishing a new government. The Qatari side said the discussions included enhancing humanitarian aid for Syria.

Shibani told reporters after the meeting that economic sanctions imposed by the United States on the Assad regime are an obstacle to receiving support and cooperation for Syria's recovery. He reiterated Syria's call for the US to lift the restrictions.

Shibani plans to visit the United Arab Emirates and Jordan later this week. The Syrian interim government apparently hopes to strengthen ties with countries in the region to gain support and investments for recovery efforts.