Press Conference: António Guterres (UN Secretary-General) with the Foreign Minister of Syria

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Transcript: Your Excellency Honourable Foreign Minister, Let me first of all thank you very much for the generous and warm welcome that I have been feeling. I am as if I was at home, and I know I am with friends. And I also want to thank you for our productive discussions. I am pleased to be in Damascus at this important moment for Syria and the Syrian people. This is an extremely meaningful visit on many levels. For years, long before becoming Secretary-General, I worked closely with Syrians. As United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, I witnessed the extraordinary generosity of the Syrian people welcoming those fleeing conflict and persecution. I saw Syrian communities opening their homes, schools and neighbourhoods to families seeking safety and dignity. Later, I met Syrian families who themselves had been forced to flee the country – families who risked everything for a chance at security. I met young Syrians whose hopes were simple and universal: to learn, to work, to contribute, and to live in peace. Those experiences have stayed with me. And they are among the reasons why it is so important for me to be here today. Indeed, I made a conscious decision not to come to Syria since the beginning of the brutal repression of the Syrian people in 2011 until the fall of the regime. The Syrian people have endured years of hardship, loss and uncertainty. Yet they have never lost the qualities that have long defined this country: resilience, talent, creativity and a deep sense of identity and belonging. Today, Syria stands at a moment of possibility. The opportunity now is not only to recover from conflict, but to lay the foundations for a future that is more stable, more inclusive and more prosperous for all Syrians. Achieving that goal will require leadership, vision and trust. Above all, it will require that every Syrian sees a place for themselves in the future of their country. And it is for Syrians to define their path forward and shape the institutions that will serve future generations. But let me also say clearly: no country emerging from more than a decade of a brutal conflict can rebuild on its own. This is a moment that requires the international community to support Syria with determination and foresight. Syria's recovery is a humanitarian imperative – and it is also an investment in development, in peace and regional stability. And I look around, Syria is today the pillar of stability of the Middle East. The international community must help create conditions for economic recovery … assist in the restoration of essential services and infrastructure … expand opportunities for livelihoods and employment … and help enable the safe, voluntary and dignified return of refugees and displaced people. International financial institutions and development partners also have an important role to play in helping Syria reconnect with regional and global economic opportunities. This is the moment for partnership and solidarity. The role of the United Nations is to accompany and support Syria's journey. We are ready to support your political transition, including your efforts to ensure transitional justice, draft a permanent constitution, and hold free and fair elections. We are committed to continue providing humanitarian and development assistance, in line with Syria's national priorities. We have no UN agenda for Syria. Our agenda is the agenda of the Syrian government and the Syrian people. And we underscore the importance of fully respecting Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity. Violations of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity are unacceptable and must cease. What is happening in the region around the Golan Heights is totally unacceptable. And I'd like to remind the international community that the Golan Heights are Syrian territory on top of the violations of the Agreement on the Forces. And those violations are of course extremely serious, but they should not let us forget that the Golan Heights themsemves are part of the Syrian territory. So, the United Nations looks forward to keep working with Syrians from all walks of life, and with the international community in support of a future defined by peace, dignity and opportunity by the Syrians themselves. Thank you. Question: My question to Mr. Secretary-General Guterres: Israel continues to carry out military incursions into Syrian territory. What kind of steps will the United Nations take to ensure respect for Syria's sovereignty? And the second question: Are there any known UN measures to stop these violations? Secretary-General: Well, first of all, we have a very clear position. A clear position in relation of the need to maintain the territorial integrity of Syria and against any violations of that territorial integrity. And a demand that all those violations cease. At the same time, our force on the ground is doing its best to minimize the consequences of the permanent violations by Israel in relation to the situation on the ground and to support the populations in this very difficult situation. This is a matter in which I believe that the international community needs to be much more proactive. And I believe that there are serious responsibilities, inclusive of the Security Council, that is the body that has the responsibility to maintain peace and security in the world. We consider that the present situation is intolerable and that that situation needs to stop. Question: In the months since the fall of the Assad regime and the lifting of sanctions and 46 years after resolution 497 declared Israel annexations of the occupied Syrian Golan Heights null and void, the Syrian people seek to live in security and peace. After US President Trump officially recognized Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights, my question is: Today, what message do you bring to Damascus? What concrete guarantees can you provide to the Syrian people that their right to live in peace and security will be protected? And final question: And that Golan will be returned? Thank you. Secretary-General: Well, I have not the power to do all these things just by touching my fingers. But first of all, I consider that it is very important to maintain a clear position in all the bodies of the United Nations, and indeed the United Nations recognizes as such, without limitations, that the Golan Heights belongs to Syria. And at the same time, to condemn all the violations that are being perpetrated at the present moment. We have a difficulty, let's be clear. The organ that was supposed to address these questions is effectively the Security Council, and the Security Council has geopolitical divides that are known. And there is also a problem of legitimacy, as its composition no longer corresponds to the realities of the world today. And the use of the power of the veto has avoided in many circumstances the actions that would be necessary to make sure that international law is respected. But we will not give up. And we will maintain firmly our position and our strong advocacy of the international community to recognize that what is Syrian is Syrian and cannot be taken away.