![Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani attends the 34th Arab League summit, in Baghdad, Iraq, on May 17, 2025. [Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters/Pool - Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/AA-20250517-37986866-37986861-34TH_ARAB_LEAGUE_SUMMIT_KICKS_OFF_IN_BAGHDAD-1-1.jpg?fit=920%2C613&ssl=1)
Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani said Saturday that Israel’s violations against his country’s sovereignty pose a “threat to regional stability,” while praising the “effective mediation” efforts by Türkiye and Saudi Arabia to lift US sanctions on Syria, Anadolu reports.
Speaking at the 34th Arab League Summit in Baghdad, Shaibani expressed Damascus’ hope for “a unified Arab position” in support of Syria’s right to regain full sovereignty over all its territory.
He described Israel’s threats and violations in southern Syria as “a blatant breach of international law and the basic principles of the UN Charter, and a threat to regional stability.”
Shaibani reaffirmed Damascus’ commitment to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement with Israel, which he said “ensures the minimal stability in that volatile region.”
After the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December, Israel expanded its occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights by seizing the demilitarized buffer zone, a move that violated a 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria.
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Sanctions lifted
Shaibani described US President Donald Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Damascus as “an important step toward national recovery and reconstruction, reflecting an earnest Arab diplomatic effort that has yielded tangible results.”
He extended gratitude to Saudi Arabia and Türkiye “for their effective mediation at a historic turning point,” and thanked Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, all Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and every Arab nation that stood by Syria “during this critical phase.”
Trump announced his intention on Tuesday to lift sanctions on Syria during a Saudi-US Investment Forum 2025 in Riyadh.
Unified Syria
Regarding domestic affairs, Shaibani asserted that “any project aimed at weakening or dividing the Syrian state under any pretext is categorically condemned and rejected by the Syrian state and people in all their diversity.”
He added that Syria still faces “multiple challenges, including remnants of ISIS (DAESH), which certain external forces are attempting to exploit as a tool for political blackmail and security pressure.”
Shaibani revealed that the government is “finalizing preparations for the launch of a national parliament that represents the full spectrum of Syrian society, and a permanent constitution that guarantees rights, protects sovereignty, and establishes a state of law –not a state of chaos.”
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa signed a constitutional declaration in March, setting a five-year transitional phase for the country.
Bashar Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.
Al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in late January.
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