ISTANBUL

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said Monday that his government is taking concrete steps to build “a new Syria” and is committed to transitional justice to ensure accountability for crimes committed against Syrians.

Addressing a gathering at the Conference Palace in the capital, Damascus, on the first anniversary of Bashar al-Assad’s fall, Sharaa said that from the “first moment of liberation,” he toured the country’s provinces to listen to people’s concerns and demands.

He said those consultations shaped a clear vision for Syria’s future.

“We aspire for a strong state rooted in its proud history, looking toward a promising future, and reclaiming its natural place in its Arab, regional and international surroundings.”

Sharaa said the government is now taking its “first steps” on the path of rebuilding “new Syria” and emphasized that transitional justice is essential to ensuring lasting stability.

“We affirm our commitment to the principle of transitional justice to hold accountable everyone who violated the law and committed crimes against the Syrian people, while preserving victims’ rights and achieving justice,” he said.

He added that the Syrian people’s right to truth, accountability and reconciliation is “the foundation for the stability of the state and a guarantee that violations will not be repeated.”

This process, he said, is the cornerstone for restoring trust between citizens and the state.