UN Secretary-General Guterres Makes Statement on Golan Heights

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Syrian Foreign Minister Esad Hasan Şeybani held a joint press conference after their meeting in Damascus. Guterres stated, 'The Golan Heights are Syrian territory. Infringements on Syria's territorial sovereignty are unacceptable and must be stopped.' Syrian Foreign Minister Şeybani discussed ways to develop cooperation between Syria and the UN to support Syria's reconstruction efforts. Guterres and Şeybani emphasized the importance of security and stability in the country, stating, 'Today, Syria presents a strategic peace model focused on gathering arms in the hands of the state and ensuring the security of the country's borders.' Şeybani noted that approximately 3.5 million Syrians have returned to their country, which is one of the largest voluntary return movements in the world. Şeybani emphasized that Syria needs the support of the international community and the European Union (EU), saying, 'Those who want to see a successful model in this period should stand by Syria.'