Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday in a landmark appearance, the first by a Syrian leader since 1967.
Wearing a grey suit and burgundy tie, Sharaa spoke of the Syrian uprising against decades of repression by the Assad regime, which began in 2011. "For long years we suffered injustice and deprivation and oppression," he said.
He also declared that Syria had "restored its international relations" and secured new regional and global partnerships. Regarding sanctions, he warned that they must not be used "to shackle the Syrian people and confiscate their freedom once again".
Rebuilding after Assad
Sharaa pledged to hold accountable those responsible for crimes under Assad, including torture, chemical weapons attacks, forced displacement and mass killings. "The former regime used the most heinous tools of torture and killing, destroyed our historic centres, and brought in foreign forces and militias," he said.
He vowed to dissolve militias, place weapons under state authority, and prepare for legislative elections.
The Syrian leader accused Israel of exploiting Syria’s transitional phase, warning its policies threaten to drag the region into "a spiral of new conflicts whose end is unknown".
He reaffirmed Syria's commitment to the 1974 disengagement agreement and urged the international community to defend his country's sovereignty, while also expressing solidarity with the people of Gaza.
Israel later confirmed negotiations with Damascus were ongoing, but conditioned any deal on Syrian demilitarisation in the southwest and guarantees for the Druze community.
Celebrations in Damascus
In Damascus, the speech was broadcast live in Umayyad Square, where crowds waved flags, set off fireworks and hailed what state media called the "return of Syria to the world".
Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Sharaa had insisted on drafting the speech himself "to write the Syrian story with his own hand".
On the sidelines of the Assembly, Sharaa met US President Donald Trump for the second time this year.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sharaa had committed to working with international partners, describing the change of government in Syria as a "historic opportunity" for regional stability.
At the same time, Washington announced a sweeping overhaul of its sanctions framework. General sanctions on Syria were lifted, with measures now targeting individuals implicated in war crimes, human rights abuses or drug smuggling.
Restoring ties with Ukraine
Syria also signed a joint statement with Ukraine to restore diplomatic relations, cut in 2022 after Assad recognised the independence of Russian-backed separatist territories.
Meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Sharaa pledged to build relations on "mutual respect and trust" and to cooperate on security and reconstruction.
The Syrian leader also met French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Jordan's King Abdullah II and other leaders, framing the visit as proof of Syria’s return to the international community.
He said: "We are turning the page of a miserable past to restore Syria's pride and place in the world."