Guterres Visits Syria in First UN Chief Trip Since 2009
BEIRUT-United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived in Damascus on Saturday, becoming the first serving UN chief to visit Syria since 2009, in a trip aimed at reaffirming international support for the country as it navigates a political transition following the end of Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
On arrival, Guterres described the visit as one of solidarity, saying in a post on X that the United Nations stood with Syria at a pivotal moment in its history. He urged the international community to make every effort to support the Syrian people as the country seeks to recover from years of conflict.
According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, Guterres was received at Damascus International Airport by Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani before holding talks with President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the presidential palace.
The visit marks another diplomatic milestone for Syria after Islamist-led rebel forces ousted former President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, ending a conflict that began in 2011, killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions. The change in leadership ushered in a transitional government headed by Sharaa, who had previously led Al-Qaeda’s former affiliate in Syria and remained under United Nations terrorism-related sanctions until November 2025.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Guterres would also meet senior government officials, including Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani, as well as representatives of Syrian civil society during a visit expected to last several days. The Secretary-General’s office has not released a full itinerary.
The UN chief is expected to emphasise that Syria has an opportunity not only to recover from years of war but also to build a more stable, inclusive and prosperous future. The United Nations has continued to advocate political reconciliation, humanitarian assistance and accountability as the country emerges from more than a decade of conflict.
Guterres’ trip comes only weeks after explosions near a hotel in Damascus overshadowed the first visit to Syria by a serving European Union head of state since Assad’s removal. The new Syrian leadership has sought to expand diplomatic engagement beyond the country’s traditional allies, Russia and Iran, while rebuilding its economy and international standing.
Despite renewed diplomatic outreach, Syria’s transition has been challenged by episodes of sectarian violence. Nearly 1,500 members of the Alawite community were killed in the coastal region last year by government-aligned factions, while hundreds from the Druze minority later died in violence in southern Syria. Guterres has previously expressed alarm over both incidents and called for those responsible to be held accountable.
Sharaa, who severed ties with Al-Qaeda in 2016, has repeatedly pledged to protect Syria’s religious minorities as his administration seeks broader international recognition. Last year, he became the first Syrian president since 1967 to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
In recent months, the United States has eased most of its sweeping sanctions on Syria, and President Donald Trump said earlier this month that he intended to remove Syria from Washington’s list of state sponsors of terrorism.
During his visit, Guterres is also expected to address Syria’s newly formed parliament and visit the long-standing UN peacekeeping force that monitors the buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces. The visit comes as Damascus continues to call for Israeli forces to withdraw from areas in southern Syria captured after Assad’s removal and to return to the terms of the 1974 disengagement agreement.
