President al-Sharaa is first Syrian leader to visit UNGA in six decades

The past Syrian president to code the UN General Assembly spoke astatine the gathering successful 1967.

Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa has arrived successful New York for the 80th league of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), becoming the archetypal Syrian caput of authorities to be the yearly gathering successful astir six decades.

The past Syrian person to be the UNGA was President Nureddin al-Atassi, who ruled earlier the al-Assad household came to powerfulness successful 1971 and maintained its regularisation until al-Sharaa toppled Bashar al-Assad’s government successful December.

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Al-Sharaa arrived successful New York connected Sunday, starring a ample delegation of Syrian officials, successful what authorities media described arsenic a “landmark trip”.

The symbolism of the sojourn was besides important due to the fact that it is the latest milestone successful the normalisation of al-Sharaa and his government, who seized powerfulness successful the state successful a lightning violative aft spending much than a decennary arsenic a rebel combatant successful bluish Syria.

Al-Sharaa had a meeting with United States President Donald Trump successful May, the archetypal specified brushwood betwixt a Syrian president and a US president successful 25 years, astatine a acme of the Gulf Cooperation Council, alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. At the meeting, Trump said the US would driblet each sanctions connected Syria, which helium subsequently did, and added that Washington was “exploring normalising relations with Syria’s caller government”.

Al-Sharaa’s fledgling authorities has been contending with interior strife, notably an eruption of unit successful the confederate country of Suwayda successful June, arsenic good repeated Israeli attacks and subject incursions into Syrian territory contempt talks betwixt the 2 nations.

Syria has accused Israel of violating the 1974 Disengagement Agreement that followed their 1973 war, by establishing quality facilities and subject posts successful demilitarised areas to beforehand its “expansionist and partition plans”.

In an interrogation with CBS’s Face the Nation, al-Sharaa said “President Trump took a large measurement towards Syria by lifting the sanctions with a quick, courageous and historical decision.

“He recognized that Syria should beryllium safe, unchangeable and unified. This is successful the top involvement of each the countries successful the world, not conscionable Syria,” helium added, saying helium hoped to person different gathering with Trump portion successful the US.

“We request to sermon a large galore issues and communal interests betwixt Syria and the USA. We indispensable reconstruct relations successful a bully and nonstop way.”

At the extremity of June, Trump signed an enforcement bid “terminating” astir remaining sanctions connected Syria, which was welcomed successful Damascus arsenic unlocking “long-awaited reconstruction and development” funds.

After arriving successful the US, al-Sharaa met members of the Syrian community.

Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani besides raised the country’s caller emblem implicit the Washington embassy.

في لحظة تاريخية، وزير الخارجية والمغتربين السيد أسعد حسن الشيباني يرفع علم الجمهورية العربية السورية فوق مبنى السفارة السورية في العاصمة الأميركية واشنطن. pic.twitter.com/PWyUEGSIBK

— وزارة الخارجية والمغتربين السورية (@syrianmofaex) September 19, 2025

Translation: In a historical moment, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Mr Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, raises the emblem of the Syrian Arab Republic supra the gathering of the Syrian embassy successful the US capital, Washington.