UN Secretary-General António Guterres concluded his landmark two-day visit to Syria on Sunday, telling reporters at a closing press conference in Damascus that the Syrian people had demonstrated extraordinary resilience and must not be left to shoulder the burden of recovery alone, while calling Israeli military violations of Syrian sovereignty unacceptable and demanding Syria’s swift reintegration into the regional and global economy.
“The opportunity now is not only to recover from conflict, but to lay the foundations for a future that is more stable, more inclusive and more prosperous for all Syrians,” Guterres said, calling Syria today the pillar of stability of the Middle East and a country that stands at a moment of possibility.
“No country emerges from a very severe conflict and rebuilds itself on its own. We must help Syria in its determination and resolve to do so,” he said after talks with President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the People’s Palace on Saturday.
Guterres addressed Syria’s newly elected People’s Assembly on Monday before departing for Cyprus. He reiterated the UN’s full support for Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, expressed alarm over violence against Alawite and Druze minorities since Assad’s fall, and called for international accountability. Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani reiterated Syria’s request for greater EU support and urged the international community to move quickly on debt relief and the lifting of remaining sanctions.
