UN chief visit marks Syria as 'active partner': Syrian foreign minister

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Saturday that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' arrival in Damascus marks a new chapter for the war-torn nation as an "active partner" in the United Nations, welcoming the first visit by a world body chief to the country in 17 years.

Partnership and Recovery

Speaking at a joint news conference with Guterres in the Syrian capital, al-Shaibani stated that discussions centered on a new phase of cooperation between Damascus and the UN. The talks addressed recovery and reconstruction efforts under what he described as "a single strategy for a Syrian-led recovery process," signaling a shift from isolation to engagement.

Regional Security Concerns

Al-Shaibani stressed that lasting peace remains impossible while "grave violations" of Syrian sovereignty continue. "The continuation of Israeli military operations and the illegal occupation of our territory beyond the 1974 line represent a direct threat to the region's security and a drain on our national resources," he said, referring to the disengagement line established after the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.

Guterres' visit comes as Syria seeks to rebuild following years of civil conflict and international isolation. Israeli forces have maintained positions in the Golan Heights beyond the 1974 demarcation line since the fall of the Assad regime in December, despite calls for withdrawal from Damascus and the international community.