Guterres to Become First Sitting UN Chief to Visit Syria Since Pre-War Era

By Tala Ramadan

BEIRUT, July 25 (Reuters) – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will travel to Syria on Saturday, becoming the first sitting U.N. leader to visit the country since the onset of the nearly 14-year civil war that killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.

This visit marks another significant milestone for Syria since rebel forces overthrew former leader Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, ending a conflict that began in 2011 and inaugurating a transitional period under Islamist-led governance.

At the time, Guterres described “the end of the Syrian dictatorship” under Assad as a sign of hope for the region.

Guterres is scheduled to meet with President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former head of al Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria who, until November 2025, remained under terrorism-related sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council.

The U.N. chief will also hold talks with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, other government officials, and representatives of Syrian civil society, according to a statement from U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

Guterres will emphasize that Syria has an opportunity “not only to recover from conflict, but also to lay the foundations for a future that will be more stable, more inclusive, and more prosperous for all Syrians,” Dujarric said.

While the full schedule of the visit has not been released, Guterres is expected to remain in Damascus for several days.

His arrival comes just weeks after two bombs exploded near a Damascus hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron spent the night, casting a shadow over the first visit to Syria by a European Union head of state since Assad’s ouster.

SHARAA’S GOVERNMENT REBUILDING INTERNATIONAL TIES

Sharaa’s administration is working to reconstruct Syria’s international relationships and economy after nearly 14 years of war and decades of isolation under the Assad family.

The transition period has been shaken by two major episodes of sectarian violence that have tested Sharaa’s repeated pledges to protect religious minorities.

Last year, nearly 1,500 Alawites—the sect from which Assad hailed—were killed in Syria’s coastal region by government-aligned factions, and months later hundreds of Druze minorities were killed in the country’s south.

Guterres expressed alarm over both bouts of violence and called for accountability.

Sharaa, who severed ties with al Qaeda in 2016, led an alliance of Islamist rebel factions that ousted Assad in a swift offensive in December 2024.

Since assuming power, his government has sought to re-establish diplomatic ties beyond Assad’s longtime allies, Russia and Iran.

Last year, Sharaa became the first Syrian president since 1967 to participate in the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

The United States has lifted most sweeping sanctions on Syria, and President Donald Trump informed Sharaa earlier this month of his intention to remove Syria from Washington’s list of state sponsors of terrorism.

During his visit, Guterres is expected to address Syria’s new parliament on Monday and visit a U.N. peacekeeping force that has maintained a buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces for decades, Dujarric said.

Israeli troops have occupied new areas in southern Syria following Assad’s removal, and Damascus has demanded they withdraw and adhere to the 1974 disengagement agreement.

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