Syria says it moved from outlining visions to implementing them

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Thursday that Syria has moved “from outlining visions and commitments to translating them into reality,” as he stressed his country’s participation in the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

“We conclude, under the leadership of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the participation of the Syrian Arab Republic in the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, for the second time since Syria’s liberation and restoration of its regional and international standing,” Shaibani said in a statement on US social media company X.

The minister said his country “has taken practical steps during this period to implement its comprehensive vision on key issues at the national, regional and international levels, and to strengthen its openness to the international community and its organizations.”

Syria has moved “from outlining visions and commitments to translating them into reality,” he added.

The current Syrian participation came a year after President Sharaa attended the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, marking the first participation by a Syrian president in the meetings since 1967.

During his current visit to New York, Sharaa delivered Syria’s address to the General Assembly on Wednesday and held a series of meetings with international leaders and officials alongside his delegation.

In his address to the General Assembly, Sharaa discussed the Golan Heights, Israeli attacks, sanctions, chemical weapons, combating drug trafficking, and the return of refugees.

He reaffirmed his country’s commitment to the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and called for Israeli forces to withdraw to the lines of Dec. 8, 2024.

High-level meetings and the general debate of the 81st UN General Assembly began Tuesday with Syria's participation, and will continue through Sept. 28, according to the UN’s official program.