Al-Moallem discusses developments in Syria with Guterres

Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem on Friday met UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the sideline of the UN General Assembly meetings, briefing him on developments in Syria.

Al-Moallem focused on the achievements of the Syrian Armed Forces and allied forces in fighting terrorism, affirming determination to liberate every inch of Syrian territory from terrorism.

For his part, Guterres voiced satisfaction over the positive results achieved in fighting terrorism, underlining the importance of what has been achieved in the sixth Astana meeting regarding de-escalation in Idleb, hoping that these achievements will help achieve progress in the Geneva track.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Ministry Fayssal Mikdad, Syria’s Permanent Representative at the UN Bashar al-Jaafari, and Ambassador Ahmad Arnous, in addition to UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman and UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

Al-Moallem also met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, discussing the recent achievements realized by the Syrian Arab Army with the support of the Russian Aerospace Forces and allies in Deir Ezzor and the Bukamal areas.

The two sides also discussed the upcoming Astana meetings, the ongoing communication between Russia and the US on recent developments, changes on the international arena, and the need to end the coercive unilateral steps imposed against the Syrian people.

They also affirmed the need to bolster bilateral cooperation and ensuring the success of the upcoming Syrian-Russian Joint Committee.

Lavrov said during the meeting that Russia has informed the US that the attempts to hinder the operations against terrorists in Syria will not remain unanswered, affirming that the success of the Syrian Army with the aid of the Russian Aerospace Forces are vital in combating ISIS.

Al-Moallem also met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, discussing with him the deep-rooted relations between the two countries and means for developing them.

Al-Moallem briefed the Chinese Minister on the latest developments in fighting terrorism, pointing out that the US-led international coalition’s killing of civilians and destruction of infrastructure is part of its hostile plots against Syria.

For his part, Wang Yi lauded the positive developments due to the victories of the Syrian Army and its allies, noting that the international situation is shifting in favor of the Syrian government, and that China supports the Syrian government’s efforts to fight terrorism and preserve Syria’s unity and integrity.

He also affirmed that China will continue supporting Syria and will contribute actively to the reconstruction process.

In the same context, al-Moallem met Belarusian Foreign Affairs Minister Vladimir Makei, discussing with him the latest developments in Syria and bilateral relations, with Makei affirming that Belarus supports Syria in the fight against terrorism and that it will continue supporting the Syrian people and developing relations in all fields, particularly economy via participation in reconstruction.

Al-Moallem also met Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and discussed with him cooperation and coordination between the two countries and the latest developments in Syria, as well as the results of the sixth Astana meeting.

Earlier on Friday, Al-Moallem met with Omani Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf bin Alawi, Kazakhstani Foreign Affairs Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov, and Cypriot Foreign Affairs Minister Ioannis Kasoulidis, discussing with them developments in Syria, the achievements being made in the fight against terrorism, and the need to bolster bilateral relations.

During these meetings, bin Alawi voiced happiness over the achievements of the Syrian Armed Forces, lauding the determination of the Syrian leadership to fight terrorism and rebuild Syria, while Abdrakhmanov affirmed his country’s readiness to continue hosting the Astana meetings, with Kasoulidis talking about the positive developments in the European arena regarding the situation in Syria.

Minister al-Moallem arrived at New York on Thursday morning heading the Syrian delegation participating in the 72nd UN General Assembly meetings. After his arrival, al-Moallem met Lebanese counterpart Gebran Bassil and discussed with him bilateral relations between the two countries.