Syrian foreign minister says end of war, lifting of sanctions main achievements of past year

MOSCOW

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on Wednesday highlighted two pivotal achievements for Syria over the past year: the end of its longstanding conflict and the subsequent lifting of international sanctions.

Speaking at a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, Shaibani emphasized that Russia-Syria ties are entering an advanced phase of development.

“The past year was significant for Syria, first of all, this year marked the end of the war that lasted 14 years, and the end of the previous regime. The most important success we have achieved over the past year is the lifting of sanctions against Syria,” he said.

He underscored that the current focus of the transitional government revolves around reconstructing the nation following the conflict and fostering diplomatic balance in global affairs.

“Approximately a quarter of a million residential houses, and 4 million residential buildings have been destroyed in Syria,” he said.

There also remain numerous displaced persons residing in tent settlements within northern and northeastern regions, many expressing eagerness to repatriate once suitable living conditions are established, he said.

Nearly 250,000 individuals remain unaccounted for, attributable to actions taken by the former authorities, he said.

Addressing these challenges forms the absolute priority agenda during the initial stages of Syria’s transition period, according to Shaibani.

“We have also managed to stop the spread of drugs over the past year and are now trying to attract investments into the Syrian economy in order to create jobs, which is also one of the topics of our bilateral cooperation,” he said.

Lavrov greeted Shaibani, who met President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, stressing the significance of maintaining consistent dialogue between both nations.

“I know that yesterday you had a very good meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which you discussed bilateral issues, the situation in the region and practical tasks to ensure the key issue of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic,” he said.

Lavrov invited Shaibani to use today’s meeting to explore opportunities for enhancing cooperation across various fronts.