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Saturday, July 25Saturday, July 25
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Syria on Saturday, marking the first official visit by a serving UN chief in 17 years. Guterres landed at Damascus International Airport where he was received by Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, according to Syria’s state news agency.
During his visit, Guterres is scheduled to meet with President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led an alliance of Islamist rebel factions that ousted former leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander, was under UN Security Council sanctions until last year.
Guterres will also hold talks with other government officials and representatives of Syrian civil society. The visit includes a field tour to inspect the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), stationed in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, as part of efforts to monitor commitments under the ceasefire agreement with Israel.
The UN chief’s visit comes just weeks after two bombs exploded near a hotel in Damascus where French President Emmanuel Macron spent the night, overshadowing the first visit to Syria by a European Union head of state since al-Assad was toppled. Syrian authorities have said they have uncovered the cell responsible for the bombings, arresting suspects affiliated with the ISIL (ISIS) group.
Guterres is expected to reaffirm the UN’s support for Syria’s transition and recovery efforts. “The opportunity now is not only to recover from conflict, but also to lay the foundations for a future for Syria that will be more stable, more inclusive, and more prosperous for all Syrians,” said UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric ahead of the visit.
The visit is another diplomatic milestone for al-Sharaa’s government, which has sought to rebuild Syria’s international ties and economy after nearly 14 years of war and decades of isolation under Assad family rule. However, the transition has been marred by episodes of sectarian bloodshed, including the killing of nearly 1,500 Alawites in Syria’s coastal region last year and hundreds of Druze in the country’s south.
Guterres has expressed alarm over the violence and has called for accountability. He is expected to address Syria’s new parliament on Monday.
The last UN chief to visit Syria was Ban Ki-moon in 2009, two years before the start of the country’s civil war. Guterres himself last visited Syria in 2010 as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
According to the UN, around 15.6 million people in Syria still require humanitarian assistance, with millions suffering from acute food insecurity, destroyed infrastructure, and limited access to basic services.
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Syrien nach dem Umsturz: Erstmals wieder ein UN-Generalsekretär zu Besuch in Syrien
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🟠 UPDATEGuterres arrives in Syria for first UN visit since civil war beganGuterres will meet Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who was under UN Security Council sanctions until last year.📰 #Sanctions #Geopolitics #GeoWire
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