Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al Shaibani has said that UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s visit to Damascus marks Syria's transition to the role of an "active partner" in the United Nations, as Guterres called the situation around Syria's Golan Heights occupied by Israel "unacceptable".
Speaking at a joint news conference with Guterres on Saturday in Damascus, al Shaibani welcomed the first visit by a UN chief to Syria in 17 years.
He said the visit carries "profound significance beyond its official dimensions" and constitutes "a clear declaration of Syria's transition to the role of an active partner in the United Nations".
Guterres said the situation around Syria's Golan Heights was unacceptable.
The UN chief stressed that the Golan Heights, which are occupied by Israel, are Syrian territory, adding that Tel Aviv’s violations are unacceptable.
"What is happening in the region around the Golan Heights is totally unacceptable," Guterres told a press conference alongside al Shaibani, who called for an "immediate and unconditional Israeli withdrawal" from the area where they had advanced.
Noting that no country can rebuild itself alone after emerging from severe conflict, he said the UN looks forward to cooperating with Syria and the international community to support Damascus’ future.
Al Shaibani said talks with Guterres focused on a new phase of partnership between Syria and the UN, including recovery and reconstruction under "a single strategy for a Syrian-led recovery process".
Addressing regional stability, al Shaibani said Damascus stressed during the meeting that lasting peace cannot be achieved amid what he described as "grave violations" of Syria's sovereignty.
"The continuation of Israeli military operations and the illegal occupation of our territory beyond the 1974 line represent a direct threat to the region's security and a drain on our national resources," he said.
