UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres arrived Saturday in the Syrian capital of Damascus on the first visit by a UN chief to the country since 2009, Anadolu reports.
Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani received Guterres and the accompanying UN delegation at Damascus International Airport.
The three-day visit marks the first by a UN secretary-general to Damascus since former UN chief Ban Ki-moon traveled to the Syrian capital in 2009.
Besides meetings with top officials including President Ahmed al-Sharaa, the visit includes a field tour to inspect the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), stationed in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, as part of efforts to monitor commitments under the ceasefire agreement with Israel.
Earlier this week, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres would visit Syria this week at the invitation of its government and meet several officials.
Guterresβ visit represents a significant shift in UN relations with Syria since the end of the civil war in 2024. It is the beginning of a political and UN-level engagement framework that brings the Syrian state back into direct international dialogue.
It also moves the Syrian issues from crisis management through special envoys to the highest leadership level within the international organization.
Read: Guterres to visit Damascus to revive UN efforts in 1st Syria visit by UN chief since 2009
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