NEW YORK CITY: Samuel Zbogar, Slovenia’s permanent representative to the UN Security Council and its president for December, said a visit by a council delegation to Syria on Thursday, part of a broader regional mission that will also include time in Lebanon, is designed to rebuild confidence between Syrians and the international community.
Speaking from Damascus on behalf of the delegation, he stressed that the future of the country must be “Syria-led and Syria-owned.”
He continued: “The word of today was the word ‘trust.’ We heard a lot about trust, and we came here to build trust: to build our trust in your efforts for a better future, and to build your trust in the intentions of the Security Council and the intentions of the United Nations.”
Zbogar said the delegation took part in a wide range of meetings throughout the day, beginning with a session with President Ahmad Al-Sharaa, his foreign minister and other government ministers.
The delegates then met the UN’s country team in Syria, which Zbogar described as “quite a large, impressive team here in Damascus,” before moving on to talks with religious leaders, civil society figures, representatives of communities affected by recent violence in coastal regions and Sweida, and governors from coastal provinces.
They also met representatives of Syria’s National Commission for Missing Persons, other investigative commissions, and the country’s electoral committee.
Zbogar described the day’s discussions as both enlightening and sobering.
“As much as painful to listen to, (they were) at the same time presenting the reality of the situation in Syria,” he said.
Specific topics raised included justice and reconciliation, inclusivity within the political process, national dialogue, humanitarian needs, reconstruction and economic development, the political transition, counterterrorism, and Syria’s obligation not to be a source of threat to regional security.
The Security Council and President Al-Sharaa agreed on “the importance of economic development and reconstruction of Syria,” Zbogar said.
The primary purpose of the delegation’s mission during its visit was to demonstrate the international community’s backing for the country, he added.
“We reiterated our clear support for the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Syria.”
The unified message from Council members, Zbogar continued, was straightforward: “We recognize your country’s aspirations and challenges, and the path to a better future of new Syria will be Syria-led and Syria-owned, and the international community stands ready to support you wherever you believe that we can be helpful.”
He highlighted the strong presence of the UN in Syria and the ability of the organization to assist through the various tools and expertise it possesses.
“We want to help build a bridge to this better future for all Syrians,” Zbogar said, and both the UN and the Security Council “stand ready to help you do that.”
The Council delegation will continue its regional mission with a visit to Lebanon in the coming days.
