Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives in New York for the UN General Assembly, September 21, 2025
UPDATE, SEPT 25:
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa spoke with Donald Trump on Wednesday evening, following Sharaa’s appearance at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.
#Syria President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with Donald Trump last night — immediately after his event with @MiddleEastInst. https://t.co/zZS7d1huk8 pic.twitter.com/WUE6K0S0iT
— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) September 24, 2025
On Wednesday, Sharaa met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly:
Good exchange with President Al-Sharaa on the challenges that Syria faces during its transition.
The European Union continues to promote a genuine, inclusive, peaceful and Syrian-led transition, free from harmful foreign interference.
We are committed to increasing our… pic.twitter.com/DRamgvPSHL
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) September 23, 2025
In his meeting with Sharaa, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called for the immediate lifting of all sanctions on Syria.
UPDATE, SEPT 24:
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has addressed the UN General Assembly.
#Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa, speaking to #UNGA:
– "I come to you from #Damascus, the capital of history & the cradle of civilization; a beautiful country that has taught the world the meaning of civilization, the value of humanity & coexistence. A beacon for the world." pic.twitter.com/VdTV9zGu5J
— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) September 24, 2025
Implicitly addressing mass killings in western Syria in March and in Suwayda Province in the south in July, Sharaa said, “Syria has now transformed from an exporter of crises to an opportunity for peace. I guarantee that we will bring to justice everyone found responsible for bloodshed.”
He noted both Israeli attacks across southern Syria, as the Netanyahu Government expands the zone of occupation, and ongoing talks: “Israel’s strikes against our country continue to this day, but for the sake of Syria and the region, we remain committed to dialogue and a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement.”
UPDATE, SEPT 23:
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
I met with Syrian President al-Sharaa about our shared goals for a stable and sovereign Syria and ongoing efforts to bring security and prosperity to all Syrians. We also discussed implementing President Trump’s historic announcement on sanctions relief and the importance of… pic.twitter.com/qW95LYHUto
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) September 22, 2025
ORIGINAL ENTRY, SEPT 22: Less than 10 months after the fall of the Assad regime, Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa will address the UN General Assembly in New York.
The visit is the first by a Syrian head of state to the UN since 1967.
Sharaa, the long-time head of the anti-Assad faction Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, was designated a “terrorist” by the US Government from 2013 to July 2025. However, his Government has worked with Washington as well as others in the international community to pursue political stability and reconstruction.
Elections for the People’s Assembly have been set for October. Two-thirds of the 210 representatives will be chosen by local committees supervised by the electoral commission. The other third will be appointed by Sharaa.
While seeking to overcome the mass killing and repression of the Assad family’s 44 years in power, the Government has faced ongoing violence — and has been accused of being involved in killings, abductions, and dispossessions — in parts of Syria. More than 1,000 people, most of them Alawites, were slain in the west in March. More than 800, most of them Druze, perished in Suwayda Province in the south in July.
See also Amnesty and UN: Alarm at Attacks on Druze in Southern Syria in July
The Government has announced national elections for October.
On Sunday, al-Sharaa met Syrians in New York City, including members of the Jewish community. Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani has been conferring with high-level officials of other countries.
NEW — #Syria's flag has been raised by Foreign Minister @AsaadHShaibani at the Embassy in #WashingtonDC.
A historic moment, 9 months after #Assad's fall & 36hrs before President Ahmed al-Sharaa's arrival in #NewYork for #UNGA — the 1st Presidential visit for 58yrs. pic.twitter.com/57LgJ1mfGM
— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) September 19, 2025
Syria to select members of first post-Assad parliament in indirect vote: https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20251005-syria-to-select-members-of-first-post-assad-parliament-in-indirect-vote
“Syrian electors will select members of its first post-Assad parliament on Sunday in a process criticised as undemocratic, with a third of the members appointed by interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa…….Syria’s Druze-majority Sweida province, which suffered sectarian bloodshed in July, and the country’s Kurdish-held northeast are excluded from the process for now as they are outside Damascus’s control, and their 32 seats will remain empty.”
But according to the BBC and CNN:
Syria holds first elections since Assad, but not in all provinces: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czrpx1vvr45o
“Syria will hold its first parliamentary elections on Sunday since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, amid concerns over inclusivity and successive delays.”
Syria holds first election since fall of Assad regime : https://edition.cnn.com/2025/10/04/middleeast/syria-elections-first-post-assad-intl-hnk
“Syria held its first parliamentary elections on Sunday since the fall of the Assad regime, a vote officials described as a milestone in the country’s post-war political transition. “