Ahmed al-Sharaa: Syria Will Not Be a Threat to Anyone.. We Seek De-escalation with Israel

In a historic move, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa participated in the UN General Assembly meetings in New York, marking the first visit by a Syrian president since 1967. During his visit, al-Sharaa confirmed that his country will not pose a threat to anyone, indicating Damascus's desire to achieve de-escalation with Israel.

"We are working on de-escalation with Israel, and we can talk about a future relationship with them after a security agreement," al-Sharaa said on the sidelines of the visit. He added that Syria does not wish to enter into a conflict with Israel and confirmed that there are ongoing negotiations to return to the 1974 agreement. He also stressed that maintaining stable regional and international relations is a top priority.

Lifting Sanctions and Domestic Affairs

The Syrian president renewed his call for Washington to lift the sanctions imposed on his country under the "Caesar Act," stating that the previous regime is gone, and thus the sanctions are no longer justified. He praised what he called a "courageous step" by former U.S. President Donald Trump for quickly lifting some sanctions.

Regarding domestic affairs, al-Sharaa stated that there has been a delay in implementing the agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). He noted that Damascus offered the SDF a chance to integrate into the Syrian army to benefit from their expertise, while reaffirming that Kurdish rights in Syria are protected by the constitution. He also warned that the continued presence of the SDF in northeastern Syria endangers Iraq, Turkey, and Syria.

Al-Sharaa affirmed that the newly formed government represents all segments of society and that the country is "moving very quickly towards building the new Syria," a transition process he expects to take between 4 to 5 years.