ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres met with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus on Saturday, in the first visit by a UN chief to Syria since before the country fell into civil war in 2011.

Guterres and his accompanying delegation were received by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani at Damascus International Airport earlier Saturday.

The UN secretary-general was then received by Sharaa at the presidential palace, where the pair discussed ways to enhance cooperation, particularly in “the humanitarian and development fields, as well as supporting early recovery and reconstruction efforts,” according to a statement from the Syrian presidency.

“They also emphasized the importance of respecting Syria’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity,” the statement added.

Upon arriving in Damascus, Guterres described his visit as one of “solidarity” in an X post, reaffirming that the UN “stands with Syria at this pivotal moment.” The UN chief appealed to the international community to “spare no effort to support the people of Syria as well.”

The trip marks the first visit by a UN secretary-general to the country since before Syria descended into a brutal 14-year civil war in 2011 that ultimately culminated in the ouster of former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 in an offensive led by then-rebel leader Sharaa.

Sharaa’s government has since been rocked by repeated episodes of bloody sectarian violence involving the country’s minorities, including the Kurds, Druze, and Alawites, with certain government-aligned elements having been accused of horrific crimes, including extrajudicial executions. Syria’s new authorities have repeatedly been criticized for failing to protect minorities.

Guterres held a broad meeting afterwards with several Syrian ministers, including Shaibani. The meeting was also attended by the Governor of Syria’s Central Bank Safout Raslan, and Syria's Permanent Representative to the UN Ibrahim Olabi.

The head of the UN also visited the Umayyad Mosque and took a tour of the Old City accompanied by Olabi.