Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said Wednesday that Syria had begun a “journey of recovery and revival,” marking the end of 47 years of isolation, while insisting the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights “will remain Syrian.” Addressing the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, al-Sharaa recalled appearing before the gathering a year earlier, representing his country for the first time in nearly 60 years. “In Syria’s struggle between good and evil, the war has ended, the bloodshed has stopped, and the destruction has ceased,” he declared. “Syria has begun its journey of recovery and revival.” The Syrian president said his country was rebuilding its international standing by expanding relations and partnerships “from a solid foundation of sovereignty.” Since what he called Syria’s “liberation,” nearly 100 countries had opened channels with Damascus through around 4,000 meetings, contacts and other interactions, while the capital now hosts some 60 diplomatic missions. Turning to chemical weapons inherited from former President Bashar al-Assad’s government, al-Sharaa highlighted the launch of the “Breaths of Freedom” team in cooperation with seven countries, the destruction of 42 chemical bombs and the restoration of Syria’s rights within the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Damascus was also cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency “with the utmost transparency” and had helped dismantle 90 international networks involved in human trafficking, drugs and crime, he added. On sanctions, the president argued that improved security and stability had created a reality in which “the walls of isolation are collapsing,” pointing to the repeal of the Caesar Act, the gradual lifting of European and British sanctions, the restoration of Syria’s cooperation agreement with the European Union and the closing of the chapter on its designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. He described those developments as “marking the end of 47 years of isolation.” The Golan Heights also featured prominently in his address. Al-Sharaa maintained that attempts to impose a new reality could not undermine Syrian state legitimacy, the rule of law or international law. “The Golan will remain Syrian land,” he stressed, adding that “all annexation measures are null and void” under UN Security Council Resolution 497. Despite continuing Israeli attacks, the Syrian leader held out the prospect of a political solution, saying there remained an opportunity for “a just peace that preserves everyone’s rights.” Speaking separately outside the General Assembly meetings, al-Sharaa revealed that direct dialogue with Israel had begun about a year ago and that several rounds of negotiations had produced understandings on “around 90 percent of the issues.” A final agreement, however, remained uncertain. “We must protect Syrians’ security and rights before we can talk about peace,” he cautioned, proposing an international committee to assess Israeli security concerns and distinguish between “perceptions” and concerns Israel considers genuine. Al-Sharaa also recounted joking with US President Donald Trump during an earlier White House discussion about US recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan. “Why don’t you think about giving New Jersey to the Israelis?” he recalled telling Trump. “You don’t own the Golan to give it away today, but you do own New Jersey, because it is full of Democrats and they don’t vote for you.” On Lebanon, the Syrian president affirmed Damascus’ support for state authority and institutions, restricting weapons to state control and strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries.
