Syrian president seeks stronger ties with Egypt, Iraq

ISTANBUL

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said his country is looking to strengthen bilateral relations with Egypt and Iraq, describing current ties as “acceptable” but needing progress toward “a more advanced and significant stage.”

Speaking to a delegation of Damascus residents on Sunday on the occasion of Liberation Day, which marks the first anniversary of Bashar al-Assad’s ouster, Sharaa outlined the foundations of Syria’s new foreign policy, which he said is built on creating broad regional and international balance.

“Syria has created a type of balance in its relations that was impossible to achieve over the past hundred years,” he said. “Today, the entire world is not looking toward Damascus in vain.”

He described Syria’s relations with the US, Russia and China as “good.”

“Everyone is satisfied, and things are going well,” he said, adding that ties with France, UK, Germany and Spain are also constructive.

At the regional level, Sharaa said Syria’s relations with Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE are “ideal,” while its ties with Egypt and Iraq are “acceptable,” expressing hope they would evolve “to a greater and higher level.”

The Syrian president said this balance has made Syria an “influential actor” regionally and internationally, and that Damascus now represents a model of stability and sustainable peace.

“We aim for Syria to embody this spirit and this revival,” he said.

“The most important investment is investing in this historic turning point,” Sharaa said, warning against squandering the moment.

“We’re not prepared to pay such a price every ten years.”

Early Monday, mosques across Syria held “victory chants” marking the first anniversary of Assad’s fall, following a call by the Ministry of Religious Endowments.

Cities and provinces, including Damascus, its countryside, Daraa, Hama, Aleppo, Idlib, and Latakia, saw military parades with large public participation.

For days, Syrians across the country have been marking their liberation from Assad’s rule through commemorations of the “Deterrence of Aggression” battle, which began Nov. 27, 2024 in Aleppo before opposition forces reached Damascus 11 days later.

Many Syrians view Assad’s overthrow on Dec. 8, 2024, as the end of a long era of brutal repression marked by widespread violations against civilians, especially over 14 years of uprising.