United Nations (EFE).— Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa declared his country’s return to “its rightful place among the nations of the world” during his debut speech at the United Nations General Assembly, the first appearance by a Syrian head of state at the UN in nearly six decades.
Al-Sharaa, who came to power following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December, hailed the start of what he called a “new prosperous chapter” for Syria and accused Israel of seeking to destabilize the region through continued military strikes.
In his address, the president condemned the Assad family’s decades-long rule, accusing the former regime of carrying out around 200 chemical attacks, employing “abominable” torture methods, and killing up to one million people during the civil war.
He described Syria’s reemergence on the world stage as “the will of a great people who have restored their glory through time.”
Al-Sharaa also expressed gratitude to countries that have backed Syria since Assad’s downfall, noting that their support was crucial in what he framed as a national rebirth.
Turning to regional tensions, the Syrian leader denounced Israel for continuing strikes on Syrian territory even after the change of power, saying the attacks have specifically targeted the new authorities.
“Israeli policies run counter to the international position supporting Syria and its people, seeking to exploit this transitional phase to drag the region into a spiral of new conflicts,” Al-Sharaa warned.
Despite the strikes, he said Damascus remains committed to dialogue and diplomacy, pledging to uphold the 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel and urging the international community to support Syria “in the face of these dangers.”
Al-Sharaa, once a founder of the al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria, rose to power after the Islamist alliance he led made a rapid advance from the country’s last opposition stronghold late last year. EFE
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