Damascus, Syria – Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month, marking the first time in nearly six decades that a Syrian head of state will address the global forum.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s new leader who assumed office in December 2024 following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, is set to travel with Foreign Minister As’ad Hassan al-Shaybani and a high-level diplomatic delegation.
Al-Sharaa’s attendance will break a 60-year absence of Syrian presidents from the UN General Assembly. The last Syrian head of state to participate was in 1967, before decades of political isolation and internal conflict kept Damascus on the margins of international diplomacy.
The 80th UN General Assembly will be held in New York between September 22 and 30, 2025.
This historic step reflects al-Sharaa’s broader push to restore Syria’s global standing and normalize relations after years of war, sanctions, and isolation under the Assad regime. His participation underscores his intent to signal a new political chapter, one centered on engagement rather than estrangement.
According to official state media (SANA), al-Sharaa’s delegation will not only attend the formal assembly sessions but also take part in a series of bilateral meetings with world leaders and heads of delegations. These talks are expected to focus on Syria’s reintegration into international forums, post-war reconstruction, and the lifting of sanctions that have crippled the country’s economy.
Syria’s international isolation deepened after the civil war erupted in 2011, leading to widespread devastation, human rights violations, and the eventual collapse of relations with many Western and Arab states. Assad’s government was heavily sanctioned and excluded from global platforms.
Al-Sharaa, a transitional figure who rose to power after Assad’s ouster in late 2024, has moved quickly to implement reforms and signal a break from his predecessor’s authoritarian policies. His administration has sought diplomatic normalization, as seen in the reopening of European embassies in Damascus earlier this year, including Spain’s, which raised its flag in January 2025 after a decade-long closure.
By attending the UN General Assembly, President Ahmed al-Sharaa is not only ending a 60-year absence of Syrian leadership at the world body but also positioning Syria on a path toward international re-engagement. His participation will test whether the international community is ready to welcome Damascus back into diplomatic circles, or whether lingering distrust from the Assad era will temper the reception. Either way, this move marks a symbolic milestone in Syria’s long road back from isolation.
