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Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa departed for the U.S. on Sunday to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, according to state media.
The Syrian Arab News Agency reported that al-Sharaa was en route "to the United States of America to participate in the affairs of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York," citing a statement from the presidency.
It will be al-Sharaa’s first appearance at the General Assembly as a Syrian head of state since former President Nureddin al-Atasi in 1967.
Al-Sharaa’s speech is expected to cover Syria’s revitalization efforts, the lifting of remaining international sanctions, regional stability, ongoing Israeli aggression that is escalating tensions in the region, and the status of the Golan Heights—a territory captured by Israel in 1967 and annexed in 1981 but still regarded by the United Nations as occupied Syrian land.
In New York, al-Sharaa is also scheduled to meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Turkish House, where Türkiye and Saudi Arabia are expected to raise concerns with Washington over Israel’s actions in Syria.
The 80th session of the General Assembly will take place in New York from Sept. 23 to 29.
This year’s discussions are expected to be dominated by the war in Gaza, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the humanitarian consequences of these conflicts.
A conference on Palestinian statehood, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, is also scheduled.
France, Britain, Canada, and Australia are expected to join the majority of U.N. member states in recognizing Palestine as a state, while Israel and the United States remain opposed.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has had a contentious relationship with the U.N., is also slated to speak early in the week.
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