Damascus, July 25 (SANA) Foreign and Expatriates Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres pledged to deepen cooperation between Syria and the United Nations during talks in Damascus on Saturday, with reconstruction, recovery and Syria’s sovereignty dominating discussions.
The two officials spoke at a joint press conference at Tishreen Palace following an expanded meeting attended by Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat, Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh, Central Bank Governor Safwan Raslan and Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ibrahim Olabi.
Al-Shaibani described Guterres’ visit—the first by a U.N. secretary-general to Syria in 17 years—as a milestone that signaled Syria’s transition into “an active partner of the United Nations.”
“This is the first visit by a U.N. secretary-general to Syria in 17 years, and its extensive program carries profound implications that go beyond protocol,” he said.
The foreign minister said the talks focused on strengthening cooperation with the United Nations to support reconstruction and the country’s transition from humanitarian relief to sustainable development.
He said 3.5 million Syrians have returned to the country, describing it as one of the world’s largest voluntary return movements, and added that the government’s priority is rebuilding the country through legislative reforms while calling for the removal of all remaining restrictions that hinder reconstruction.
Al-Shaibani also said Syria had established a strategic model for peace by consolidating the state’s monopoly on the use of force and stressed that Israeli violations of Syrian territory pose a direct threat to regional security.
He said Syria hopes to play an active role within the United Nations and called on the international community and the European Union to support the country’s recovery, adding that Syrians now have an opportunity to participate in rebuilding their nation.
Guterres calls for international support for recovery
For his part, Guterres said that Syrians had endured years of suffering and hardship but had shown remarkable resilience, urging the international community to support the country’s recovery and reconstruction.
The UN chief said his visit carried special significance because of his long association with Syria before becoming UN secretary-general. As the former UN High Commissioner for Refugees, he said he had witnessed the suffering of Syrians displaced by conflict and met families seeking safety and dignity in refugee camps and host communities.
Guterres said he had also met Syrians who had once hosted Iraqi refugees before many were later forced to flee their own country in search of security and a chance to rebuild their lives abroad.
He said those experiences remained deeply personal and explained why he had chosen not to visit Syria during the brutal oppression between 2011 and the fall of the deposed regime.
“Syrians have endured years of suffering and hardship, but they have never lost their resilience, determination, creativity and deep sense of belonging,” Guterres said.
He said Syria now has an opportunity to build a more prosperous future, stressing that success would depend on leadership, trust, and ensuring that all Syrians see themselves represented in the country’s future. He said rebuilding state institutions and moving the country forward ultimately rests with the Syrian people.
Guterres said no country emerging from a major conflict could rebuild on its own and called for sustained international support to help Syria recover. He described the current period as one that presents both recovery and investment opportunities and said Syria could become a pillar of regional stability if the necessary conditions for reconstruction and economic recovery are created.
He said priorities should include rebuilding infrastructure, expanding livelihoods and investment opportunities, and supporting the safe, voluntary and dignified return of Syrian refugees.
The UN chief said international financial institutions have an important role in reconnecting Syria with regional and global investment opportunities, adding that the United Nations would continue supporting the country’s recovery efforts.
Guterres stressed that the United Nations has no separate agenda in Syria, saying its role is to support the aspirations of the Syrian government and people while reaffirming the organization’s commitment to Syria’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He also condemned violations of Syrian territory, saying they were unacceptable and must end. Referring to the occupied Golan, Guterres reiterated that it is Syrian territory and said violations in the area constitute serious breaches of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement.
F.J./M.Z.
