UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres landed at Damascus International Airport today for a three-day official visit at the invitation of the Syrian government. This is the first visit by a head of the world organization to the country since 2009 and marks a key stage in the reformatting of relations between the UN and the new government in Syria after the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024.
Guterres was personally welcomed by Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al-Shaibani. The number one diplomat's program includes official talks with the country's new President Ahmed al-Sharaa, meetings with representatives of civil society and women's organizations. The main focus of the talks will be supporting the political transition, the economic recovery of Syria and facilitating the safe return of millions of refugees.
In addition to the political meetings in the capital, Antonio Guterres is also planning a field inspection of the UN peacekeeping force (UNDOF), which is deployed in the buffer zone of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, where tensions have recently remained high.