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Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa made history Wednesday by addressing the United Nations General Assembly, becoming the first Syrian head of state to speak at the world body's premier forum since 1967.
Before his landmark speech, hundreds of Syrians gathered outside UN headquarters in New York to welcome Sharaa, waving flags in a show of support captured by the Syrian Arab News Agency and state television Al-Ikhbariya.
Sharaa arrived in New York on Sunday with several ministers to participate in the annual UN meetings, ending nearly six decades of Syrian absence from the Assembly at the presidential level. Syria had boycotted the forum since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, when Israel occupied the Golan Heights, with Damascus long accusing the UN of siding with Israel due to Western backing.
The last Syrian leader to attend the UN summit was former President Nureddin al-Atassi, who served from 1966 to 1970.
In his address, Sharaa declared that "Syria is writing new chapter in its story, titled peace, stability, prosperity," signaling his administration's break from the Assad era that ended in late 2024.
The Syrian president expressed gratitude to international supporters, particularly thanking "all those who stand with us," specifically mentioning Türkiye, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, "all Arab, Islamic countries," the United States, and the European Union.
Sharaa reaffirmed Syria's commitment to international law, stating that his country "pledges to abide by 1974 Disengagement Agreement" with Israel while calling on the international community to "stand by it in face of dangers" and "respect sovereignty."
This commitment comes as Syria's new administration works to rebuild its international standing after Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia last December, ending the Baath Party regime that had governed since 1963. Sharaa's transitional administration was formed in January following Assad's ouster.
Prior to his UN speech, Sharaa met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Turkish House in New York. The meeting, which included Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin, underscored the diplomatic momentum surrounding Syria's return to international engagement.
Since Assad's departure, Syria's new leadership has pursued political and economic reforms while promoting social cohesion and working to expand cooperation with regional and international partners, marking a significant shift in the country's foreign policy approach after decades of isolation.
Ahmed al-Sharaa claimed in his first UN address that Israeli raids on his country risked new conflict, and promised accountability after his country's brutal civil war.
"I guarantee to bring to justice and hold everyone accountable who was responsible for the bloodshed," Ahmed al-Sharaa said in the first address by a Syrian president to the UN General Assembly in decades.
"In this context, Israeli strikes and attacks against my country continue, contradicting the international support for Syria and threatening new crises," he said.
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