For the first time since 1969, the Syrian President has attended the United Nations General Assembly. Hafez al-Assad, who took power in a coup in Syria in 1970, dismissed the UNGA and never attended it and his son, Bashar. followed in his footsteps by continuing to send the Foreign Minister to represent the Syrian state.
The Syrian President kicked off his diplomatic advocacy on the sidelines of the General Assembly on Monday with an interview by previous General and ex-CIA director David H. Petreus. The interview marked the change that President Al-Sharaa and Syria went through the times since Ahmed Al-Sharaa was imprisoned in Iraq under the custody of General Petreus from 2006 to 2011.
In his speech to the General Assembly, President Al-Sharaa said that the Syrian Revolution against the Assad regime was part of the eternal battle between good and evil. There was no language that could solve the conflict as the Syrian regime displaced millions, killed thousands and used chemical weapons against its own people he said. The only solution was to organise militarily. The Syrian President added that today, Syria is ensuring to avoid sectarianism despite those who are trying to stoke divisions. Upon taking power from the old regime, the new government adopted three strategic pillars: balanced diplomacy, security and stability and economic development, the President said.ย The Syrian President also called on the international community to stand by Syria against Israel’s attacks and occupation of Syrian territory. He also called on the international community to lift all sanctions on Syria and in his final remarks said that Syria stand firmly with the people of Gaza.
On the sidelines of the Assembly, President Ahemd al-Sharaa is conducting meetings with different world leaders and has so far met with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Antonio Costa, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. President Al-Sharaa and President Zelensky met together with their delegations and officially forged relations between their respective countries with mutual recognition. President Zelensky also mentioned Syria in his speech at the General Assembly when criticising international institutions for their futility in preventing wars and solving conflicts.
This is the first time since the Syrian Revolution broke out in 2011 that the Syrian government and its representatives have received an extensive welcome and shared support by the international community in a major international forum.
Newsroom
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