Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in New York to attend the sessions of the UN General Assembly, which is the first participation of a Syrian president since 1967, Reuters and the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
The last time a Syrian head of state attended the General Assembly was in 1967. This was before the 50-year rule of the Assad family dynasty, which ended in December, when then-President Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power as a result of a sudden rebel offensive led by al-Sharaa's forces. Assad's fall also ended a nearly 14-year civil war.
Since then, the new leader has been trying to rebuild ties with Arab countries and the West, where officials were initially wary of his ties to al-Qaeda. The rebel group he led, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, was designated a terrorist group by the United States.
Al-Sharaa, who once carried a $10 million bounty on his head, scored a major diplomatic victory in May when he won recognition from U.S. President Donald Trump at a meeting in Riyadh. The US subsequently lifted most sanctions on Syria, and the Trump administration has expressed support for al-Sharaa's efforts to unify and stabilize the country.
The Syrian leader is expected to deliver his first speech to the General Assembly, which opens its 80th session tomorrow.
Since taking power, he has preached peaceful coexistence and sought to appease Syria's minority communities, but the country's fragile recovery has been threatened by outbreaks of violence. Fighters affiliated with the new government have been accused of killing hundreds of civilians from the Druze and Alawite religious minorities.
In addition to attending the UN General Assembly, Al-Sharaa is likely to use his visit to push for further easing of sanctions on Syria, which is trying to rebuild its war-ravaged economy and infrastructure.