A UN Security Council delegation visits Syria for the first time, aiming to rebuild trust and support the country’s transition after years of civil war.
DAMASCUS: A United Nations Security Council delegation arrived in Syria on Thursday for its first-ever visit to the country.
The delegation entered via the Jdeidet Yabus border crossing with Lebanon and is scheduled to meet Syrian officials and civil society members, state news agency SANA reported.
The diplomats later visited the heavily damaged Damascus suburb of Jobar. They are expected to meet Syria’s new authorities, including President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The delegation will also travel to neighbouring Lebanon on Friday and Saturday. The visit comes as the UN works to reestablish its presence in Syria.
The Security Council recently lifted sanctions against interim leader Sharaa, a former jihadist whose forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad last December.
Slovenian UN ambassador Samuel Zbogar said the trip is the council’s first official visit to the Middle East in six years. “The visit to Syria and Lebanon is the first official visit of the Security Council to the Middle East in six years, the first visit to Syria ever,” Zbogar told a press conference.
Slovenia currently holds the rotating presidency of the UN’s top body. Zbogar said the trip comes at a crucial time for the region and for both countries.
He noted the new authorities’ efforts towards Syria’s transition and a year-old ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah. “We see daily that is being challenged,” he added.
The ambassador said the visit aims to express support and learn about challenges. “There’s still a bit of lack of trust in the UN-Syria relationship, which we try to breach with this visit,” Zbogar stated.
The delegation will also convey expectations regarding inclusivity and fighting terrorism. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s spokesman said they hope the visit will increase dialogue.
Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday that “we very much hope that the visit will increase the dialogue between the United Nations and Syria.”
The UN has urged an inclusive transition in Syria after nearly 14 years of civil war.
