DUBAI: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that Washington and its partners want to give Syria “every possible opportunity” to become a strong, unified state that reflects the diversity of its society. 

Rubio said Syria’s stability was essential for regional peace, preventing extremists and foreign actors from using the country as a base for destabilizing activities.

This is a moment of “historic opportunity” to achieve progress that had seemed unimaginable just a few years ago, Rubio said during a meeting with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. 

“President Donald Trump remains committed, not just from a unilateral US perspective, but in partnership with many countries, to giving Syria every opportunity to build a strong, unified state that respects the diversity of Syrian society, is a stable place, and is no longer a base of operations for extremists or foreign actors,” Rubio said.

GCC Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi said the importance of safeguarding Syria’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, and rejected foreign interference in its internal affairs. 

Budaiwi also condemned repeated Israeli strikes on Syrian territory and called for adherence to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, noting that Syria’s security and stability are a cornerstone of stability for the wider region.