UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated the UN's position that the Golan Heights belongs to Syria, vowing the organization will continue to work resolutely for recognition of Syrian sovereignty. In a quote attributed to the UN chief, he stated, 'What belongs to Syrians belongs to Syrians – and we cannot take it from them.'
UN Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Damascus on Saturday morning, the first such visit by a UN chief since 2009. He was received by Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani at 08:25 Jerusalem time, according to reports. Later in the day, Guterres met with de facto leader Abu Muhammad al-Jolani. In a speech in Damascus at 15:54, Guterres stated that the United Nations 'unequivocally recognizes that the Golan belongs to Syria' and condemned Israeli violations of the ceasefire. He vowed that the UN will continue to work resolutely for recognition of Syrian sovereignty over the Golan. The visit marks a significant diplomatic engagement between the UN and the new Syrian leadership.
5 developments
- DevelopingUN Secretary-General to visit Syria this week, meet President al-Sharaa
- DevelopingUN chief Guterres urges immediate halt to Middle East attacks, full respect for ceasefires
- DevelopingUN chief Guterres condemns Israeli strikes on Beirut as ceasefire violation
- DevelopingUN humanitarian chief tells Security Council Gaza aid goal must go beyond survival
Source and signal
- Open-source intake