Syria’s Leader Urges World Backing in Rebuilding War-Torn Syria

(MENAFN) Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa delivered a landmark address to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, announcing that Syria is entering a new phase of reconstruction and urging international partners to back the war-torn nation’s recovery efforts.

“Syria today is rebuilding itself, and as a nation of civilization, it deserves to be a state of law,” Sharaa said, marking the first appearance by a Syrian head of state at the UN forum since 1967. His remarks lasted under nine minutes but carried a clear message: the country is turning a page toward “peace, stability, and prosperity.”

In a message of diplomatic outreach, Sharaa acknowledged nations that supported Syria during its darkest years. He extended “gratitude to countries that stood by Syria during difficult times, particularly Türkiye, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, all Arab and Islamic states, the US, and the EU.”

Reaffirming Syria’s international commitments, the president stressed his government's adherence to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement with Israel. He also issued a pointed reminder to the global community to uphold Syria’s sovereignty. “We call on the world to stand with us in the face of these dangers,” he said.

The president also delivered a scathing indictment of the previous regime led by Bashar al-Assad, accusing it of catastrophic crimes against its own people.

“The former regime, in its war against our people, used the most horrific tools of torture and killing: barrel bombs, chemical weapons, prison torture, forced displacement, sowing sectarian and ethnic strife, and even narcotics as a weapon against our people and the world,” Sharaa said.

He cited devastating statistics from the Assad era, claiming nearly one million people were killed, 14 million displaced, and two million homes destroyed. “The deposed regime held our beautiful country hostage, killed nearly one million people, tortured hundreds of thousands, displaced around 14 million people, and destroyed nearly two million homes over the heads of their inhabitants,” he said.

Addressing the use of chemical weapons, the president added: “The vulnerable population was targeted with chemical weapons in more than 200 documented attacks. Yes, our women, children, and youth inhaled toxic gases.”

Sharaa’s appearance signals a renewed effort by Syria to re-enter the global stage and rally backing for reconstruction following over a decade of devastating civil conflict.

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