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United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has arrived in Damascus for the first visit to Syria by a serving UN chief since 2009, marking a significant moment as the country continues its transition following years of civil war.
Describing the trip as a visit of solidarity, Guterres said the United Nations stood with Syria at a critical stage in its recovery and urged the international community to do more to support the Syrian people.
During the visit, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa received the UN chief at the presidential palace, according to state news agency SANA.
The visit comes nearly two years after rebel forces ousted former president Bashar al-Assad, ending a conflict that began in 2011, claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and displaced millions of people. At the time, Guterres described the fall of Assad’s government as a source of hope for the region.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Guterres would use the visit to stress that Syria has an opportunity not only to recover from years of conflict but also to build a more stable, inclusive and prosperous future.
The U.N. chief will also meet Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, other government officials and representatives of Syrian civil society, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday.
Guterres will underline that the country has an opportunity “not only to recover from conflict, but also to lay the foundations for a future for Syria that will be more stable, more inclusive, and more prosperous for all Syrians,” Dujarric said.
Although the full itinerary has not been released, Guterres is expected to remain in Damascus for several days.
His visit follows heightened security concerns after two bombs exploded near a Damascus hotel where French President Emmanuel Macron had stayed during the first visit to Syria by a European Union head of state since Assad’s removal.
Syria’s new leadership has been working to restore diplomatic ties and revive the country’s economy after nearly 14 years of war and decades of international isolation.
However, the transition has been overshadowed by sectarian violence. Nearly 1,500 members of the Alawite community were reportedly killed in the coastal region during clashes involving government-aligned factions, while hundreds of people from the Druze minority later died in violence in southern Syria.
Guterres has condemned both incidents and called for those responsible to be held accountable.
President al-Sharaa, who severed ties with al-Qaeda in 2016 after previously leading its Syrian affiliate, headed the Islamist-led alliance that removed Assad from power in December 2024. Since assuming office, his administration has sought to broaden Syria’s international partnerships beyond traditional allies Russia and Iran.
Last year, al-Sharaa became the first Syrian president since 1967 to address the UN General Assembly in New York.
The United States has since eased most of its sanctions on Syria, while President Donald Trump recently announced plans to remove the country from Washington’s list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Guterres is expected to address Syria’s newly formed parliament on Monday before visiting the UN peacekeeping force that has monitored the buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces for decades.
Israeli troops have occupied additional areas in southern Syria following Assad’s removal, prompting Damascus to demand a withdrawal and a return to the terms of the 1974 disengagement agreement.
