The UN Secretary-General will travel to Syria on Saturday. Antonio Guterres is the first UN Secretary-General to go to Damascus since Ban Ki-moon’s trip in 2009.

He will meet with Ahmad al-Shar‘, the President of Syria, and Asaad al-Shibani, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The visit will take place at the invitation of the Syrian government. Stéphane Dujarric, a UN spokesperson, said that Mr. Guterres will stress the importance of respecting Syria’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.

Al-Shar‘ had previously been the leader of al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria and until November 2025 was subject to UN Security Council terrorist sanctions. In 2016, he split from al-Qaeda, and in December 2024 he led an alliance of Islamist groups that led to the removal of Bashar al-Assad from power.