UN chief, Syrian president discuss 'historic opportunity to chart new course for Syria'

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to discuss the political transition in Syria and ongoing challenges.

"They exchanged views about the historic opportunity to chart a new course for Syria as well as the challenges facing the country," said a statement by the spokesperson's office.

The meeting took place in the Egyptian capital of Cairo, where Arab leaders gathered for an emergency summit to address the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

Guterres "took note of the important steps taken on the path of a political transition in Syria," as he "stressed the need for an inclusive transition, in the spirit of the key principles of Security Council resolution 2254 (2015)."

Resolution 2254, adopted in 2015, calls for a Syrian-led political process facilitated by the UN to establish a credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian government, as well as to set a timeline and process for drafting a new constitution.

"The Secretary-General pledged UN support to the country's recovery and to the people of Syria to meet their humanitarian needs," said the statement, expressing "concern about violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement."

After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that violated the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria. It also intensified airstrikes targeting Syrian military positions across the country.

Israel’s recent military advances in the Golan Heights, which it has occupied since 1967, have drawn condemnation from the UN and several Arab nations.