Syria’s new government makes UN debut in New York
Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani unfurled his nation’s flag at the United Nations building in New York and watched a UN Security Council briefing; this marks the first public appearance of a high-ranking Syrian administration official in the United States since former President Bashar Assad was overthrown during a swift rebel assault in December.
The three-starred flag earlier used by opposition parties has become the official emblem of the nation after ousting the two-starred flag associated with the Assad regime.
The new leaders in Syria have been wooing the USA in expectation of getting eased off from painful sanctions set by the U.S. and its allies after Assad brutally suppressed anti-Assad demonstrations in 2011, which escalated into civil war. Shibani “holds up the new Syrian flag near the United Nations facility in New York,” Syria’s state news agency SANA reported.
Photos depicted Shibani hoisting the three-starred flag adopted officially following the December ousting of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad. The flag was adopted as a sign of the rebellion against Assad’s oppressive regime.
Speaking in a discussion with the Qatari television network Al Jazeera, Shibani stated that hoisting the new flag is a move people have been hoping for for over a decade after Assad brutally suppressed peaceful demonstrations, sparking a civil fight. The action was “not merely symbolic”; it “honors the memory of the Syrian people, culminating in the success of their achievements,” he continued.
AFP photos went on to reveal Shibani following a Security Council session on Syria in his first UN visit since insurgent troops overthrew Assad.
The diplomat again called for the removal of Assad-era sanctions by the international community to facilitate ease and economic growth. The sanctions “hinder the repatriation of refugees, stability, investments, and the restoration of physical structures damaged by the Assad regime.regime,” he added.
A Syrian delegation visited the US this week to participate in World Bank and International Monetary Fund sessions in the US and UN sessions in New York. The Trump government has not yet formally recognized the existing Syrian administration, headed by Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former rebel who commanded the uprising that overthrew Assad.
The US has also thus far maintained the sanctions, though it has granted provisional relief to some of the limitations. The faction al-Sharaa commanded, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, is still a U.S.-designated terrorist group.
