UN chief Guterres arrives in Syria for 3-day visit — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has arrived in Damascus for a three-day visit aimed at supporting Syria’s political transition, according to reports. Agence France-Presse reported that Guterres arrived in the Syrian capital on Saturday at the head of a delegation. During the visit, Guterres is expected to reaffirm UN support for Syria’s transition process. Syria’s state-run SANA news agency reported that Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani welcomed Guterres and his delegation at Damascus International Airport. Guterres is scheduled to meet interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa for talks. He is the first UN secretary-general to visit Syria since Ban Ki-moon travelled to Damascus in 2009, two years before the start of the country’s civil war, which killed more than half a million people before the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Sharaa, who cut ties with al-Qaeda in 2016, led an alliance of Islamist rebel factions that removed Assad’s government in a rapid offensive in December 2024. Before the visit, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Guterres would stress that the current moment provides an opportunity to build a future for Syria that is more stable, inclusive and prosperous for all Syrians.