Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said his country's policy is based on removing foreign military bases from Syria and preserving its national unity and independence, while continuing dialogue with Israel in pursuit of a security agreement and lasting peace that would guarantee Syrian rights and end the occupation of its territory.
Al-Sharaa opts for negotiations with Israel
He made the remarks during a dialogue session organised by the Atlantic Council in New York on Tuesday, which addressed Syria's future and its political, security and economic affairs. Al-Sharaa said Damascus had chosen the diplomatic path in dealing with Israel, despite what he described as continuing military operations, incursions, arrests and bombardment inside Syrian territory, as well as Israel's control of areas its forces entered after 8 December.
He said Syria had sought help from friendly countries, including the United States, to open channels for dialogue and address outstanding issues while preserving national interests. He stressed that his government was working towards lasting peace with Israel, but said peace could not be achieved while the occupation continued and required the restoration and safeguarding of Syrian rights.
Damascus demands the 1974 borders and a security agreement
He added that direct dialogue had begun about a year ago and initially focused on areas entered by Israeli forces after 8 December. According to al-Sharaa, Syria's proposal in the talks is for Israel to return to the 1974 borders and for the two sides to reach a security agreement.
He said the two sides had held several negotiating sessions and had come close to completing about 90% of the agreements before the Israeli side withdrew for reasons of its own. He stressed that Damascus was continuing along this path in the hope of achieving results. The Syrian president said a successful security agreement could open the way to long-term discussions on peace and the Golan Heights.
Syria reaffirmed its adherence to its sovereignty over the Golan, noting that the majority of United Nations member states affirm that it belongs to Syria. Speaking about Israeli security concerns, al-Sharaa said some could be discussed and called for an international committee to assess those concerns and determine which were serious.
He said this could help avoid a security escalation based on unclear or undefined concerns. Al-Sharaa criticised setting Israeli policy towards Syria on the basis of what happened in Gaza, saying that this approach was wrong. He said exaggerating security concerns could increase risks and lead to further conflicts, stressing that preserving the security of any state requires respecting the security of other states.
Syria's plan to end foreign bases
On the issue of foreign military forces, al-Sharaa said Syrian policy aimed to end the presence of foreign bases while co-operating with various countries in a way that would enable the state to extend its sovereignty over all its territory and strengthen its independence. He added that Syria was co-operating with several countries to reinforce state institutions and capabilities, including through training and the exchange of expertise in various fields.
He said any future foreign military presence on Syrian territory must have a clear legal designation approved by the People's Assembly and include a legal formula safeguarding the rights of the Syrian state. He stressed that Syria did not, in the near term, need foreign military bases on its territory. Regarding the Russian presence, al-Sharaa disclosed understandings that had resulted in the number of Russian bases in Syria being reduced to two.
He explained that turning the two bases into facilities dedicated to training the Syrian army was under consideration as part of the understandings and discussions between Damascus and Moscow. Regarding the Turkish military presence, al-Sharaa said Turkish forces had entered Syrian territory under exceptional circumstances linked to the security of the Turkish border, at a time when the region was experiencing conflicts and wars.
Project for an Iraqi oil pipeline through Syrian ports
He noted that the number of Turkish bases in north-western Syria had declined, while discussions between Damascus and Ankara continued over the legal designation and framework for this presence. On the economic front, al-Sharaa announced that Syria was working to secure a safe corridor for Iraqi oil exports through Syrian ports.
He disclosed a strategic project to build a pipeline extending from Iraqi oilfields to Syrian ports, which would facilitate exports and allow Iraq to avoid transporting them through the Strait of Hormuz. Al-Sharaa also spoke about Damascus's relations with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, describing them as «very good» amid shared economic, political and security interests.
He also described his relationship with Masoud Barzani as excellent, saying the region had made a major contribution to supporting stability in Syria and helping with the integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces into Syrian state institutions. On domestic affairs, al-Sharaa said the transitional period should not be used as a benchmark for judging the continuity of the Syrian state under exceptional mechanisms.
He explained that work over the next five years would focus on entrenching respect for the law, organising the roles of state institutions in accordance with the law and constitution, and ensuring that power was not centred on one person. He added that his goal in recent years had been to serve Syrians, lift injustice from them and achieve economic development, saying: «We have devoted ourselves to serving people over the past twenty years».
He stressed that the presidency had not been among his main priorities or an end in itself, compared with serving people and working to improve their circumstances. Al-Sharaa also addressed the case of missing American journalist Austin Tice, expressing sympathy for his family while noting that large numbers of Syrians also remained missing, with their fate unknown.
He said the Syrian authorities had established a special body to follow up on the missing persons file and investigate their fate, drawing on international expertise, including forensic expertise. He also referred to indications linked to the Tice case. On the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, al-Sharaa met Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zeidi.
An Iraqi government statement said the meeting addressed regional and international developments, bilateral relations and ways to develop them in accordance with mutual interests across various fields, as well as efforts to strengthen de-escalation and reduce tensions in the region. Al-Sharaa and al-Zeidi also took part in a meeting hosted by US President Donald Trump with a number of leaders of the Arab and Islamic countries on the sidelines of the General Assembly.
The Syrian president also met Thomas Barrack, the US presidential special envoy to Syria and Iraq, in the presence of Foreign and Expatriates Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani. Al-Sharaa had arrived in New York on Monday at the head of an official delegation to take part in the General Assembly meetings.
The delegation included Foreign and Expatriates Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, Emergency and Disaster Management Minister Raed al-Saleh, and a number of Syrian officials.
