ISTANBUL

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said Friday that his country is no longer isolated and the international community supports its unity and stability while rejecting calls for partition.

Speaking at a fundraising event for reconstruction in the northern city of Idlib, Sharaa highlighted his participation at the 80th UN General Assembly earlier this week in New York, the first by a Syrian president in more than half a century.

“I saw countries united in insisting on Syria’s unity and stability and in rejecting partition,” he said, adding that the international engagement places “great responsibilities” on Syrians to rebuild their country.

Sharaa said Syria has “reconnected with the world” and regained an “active historic role among nations.” He stressed that lifting sanctions should be viewed not as an end, but as a means to serve the people, attract investment, improve the economy and create jobs to rebuild from within.

The US and European states recently began easing sanctions imposed on Syria in response to Bashar Assad’s violent crackdown during the 2011 uprising. Damascus continues to demand full removal of the restrictions.

He praised Syrians’ sacrifices, saying their resilience had earned global respect. “With your struggle, Syria raised its head high and regained its dignity,” he said.

Sharaa said Damascus is seeking common ground in its international contacts to serve Syria’s interests. He described Syrians as having “entered history through its widest gates” with a struggle that symbolized resilience and pride.

The president arrived Sunday in New York with several ministers, becoming the first Syrian president to attend the UN General Assembly since 1967. He delivered his address to the world body on Wednesday.​​​​​​​

Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in late 2024, ending the Baath Party’s decades-long grip on power that began in 1963.

A transitional administration led by President Sharaa was formed in Syria in January.