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(Above) Ministers of Health, Energy, and Emergency and Disaster Management hold press conference on the Euphrates flooding situation; (Below) President al-Sharaa meets with local community. (SANA)
(Above) Ministers of Health, Energy, and Emergency and Disaster Management hold press conference on the Euphrates flooding situation; (Below) President al-Sharaa meets with local community. (SANA)

President oversees emergency flood response and announces new reconstruction in eastern Syria

    30 May 2026.  President al-Sharaa arrived in Deir Ezzor with a large delegation of ministers to oversee response efforts to the Euphrates flood and announce new reconstruction projects. While homes, businesses, and crops are lost, experts say the flood remains manageable through regional coordination.Read more at: LEVANT 24Watch video at: YOUTUBE

    Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani announces progress with disposal of chemical weapons. (SANA)
    Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani announces progress with disposal of chemical weapons. (SANA)

    Syria reports major progress in uncovering and dismantling deadly chemical weapons of ousted regime

      29 May 2026.  Foreign Minister al-Shaibani announced that Syrian teams had managed to locate and secure materials from Assad’s chemical weapons program, working with OPCW inspectors. He spoke of prosecutions and commitment to transparency in building a safer nation and more stable region.Read more at:  SYRIAN OBSERVER

      Voters cast ballots in parliamentary elections in Hasakah province, northern Syria, May 24, 2026. (SANA)
      Voters cast ballots in parliamentary elections in Hasakah province, northern Syria, May 24, 2026. (SANA)

      Parliamentary elections in former Kurdish areas allow launch of People’s Assembly 

        25 May 2026.  Elections of members to Syria’s Peoples Assembly took place in the largely Kurdish northeast regions of Hasakah and Aleppo provinces, after security-related delays. The political integration of SDF forces into Syrian state structures enables the People’s Assembly to begin its legislative work.Read more at: LEVANT 24

        Syrian Army personnel take part in the multinational “Efes 2026” exercises in western Turkey. (L24:Syrian Arab Army)
        Syrian Army personnel take part in the multinational “Efes 2026” exercises in western Turkey. (L24:Syrian Arab Army)

        Syria joins military drills in Turkey alongside NATO nations

          23 May 2026.  Syria joined military training exercises in Turkey along with 50 other nations—the first time the Syrian army has participated in exercises outside the country. The development reflects growing diplomatic and military coordination with Ankara, plus Damascus’ expanding international cooperation.Read more at: LEVANT 24

          President Ahmad al-Sharaa addresses the World Health Assembly by video. (WHO)
          President Ahmad-al Sharaa addresses the World Health Assembly by video. (WHO)

          Syria makes commitment to global health cooperation at World Health Assembly

            20 May 2026.  In a video address to the assembly, President al-Sharaa said: “I address you today from Damascus at a moment when the world faces challenges requiring a shared international resolve that prioritizes human health and lays the foundation for a more secure and equitable future,” stating Syria is committed to global health security.Read more at: LEVANT 24Watch video at: YOUTUBE

            French President Emmanuel Macron, G7 president for 2026 (pictured at March 11, 2026 meeting), will chair the summit from June 15-17. (Reuters)
            French President Emmanuel Macron, G7 president for 2026 (pictured at March 11, 2026 meeting), will chair the summit from June 15-17. (Reuters)

            Syria’s participation in June G7 talks signals another step in international financial integration

              18 May 2026.  Syria has been invited to join a closed G7 financial session next month, discussing the country’s sustainable recovery and reintegration into the global system, along with its position in the shifting Middle East landscape. President al-Sharaa and Finance Minister Barnieh are expected to attend.Read more at:  ENAB BALADI

              Head of CENTCOM (US Central Command), Adm. Brad Cooper, testifies to US Senate Armed Services Committee on post-Assad Syria, 14 May 2026. (AFP)
              Head of CENTCOM (US Central Command), Adm. Brad Cooper, testifies to US Senate Armed Services Committee on post-Assad Syria, 14 May 2026. (AFP)

              US military commander testifies to Congress that Syria is “center of gravity” in regional fight against IS

                16 May 2026.  The leader of the US Central Command, head of military operations in 20 Middle East and Asian countries, sees Syria as pivotal to shifting the Middle East from a zone of chaos into a zone of trade and stability, and he linked Syria’s stability to US security. He said the US is engaging with the Syrian government to “support a settlement that preserves dignity in the post-Assad phase.”Read more at: ENAB BALADI

                Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad-al Shibani speaks in Brussels during the EU–Syria forum on regional security. (Andalou Agency)
                Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani speaks in Brussels during the EU–Syria forum on regional security. (Andalou Agency)

                Syria ready for security agreement with Israel based on mutual interests, but not forcibly imposed normalization

                  14 May 2026.  In an interview with Euronews during the Brussels conference, Foreign Minister al-Shibani stated that Syria is prepared to reach an agreement with Israel that protects mutual sovereignty and security, but that normalization imposed through “military force or provocation” is unacceptable.Read more at:  SYRIAN OBSERVER

                  Members of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), a key component of SDF, undergoing military training in Hasakah, northeast Syria, November 2025. (Valeria Mongelli Photography)
                  Members of the Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), a key component of SDF, undergoing military training in Hasakah, northeast Syria, November 2025. (Valeria Mongelli Photography)

                  Former Kurdish-led SDF fighters are being integrated into Syria’s army 

                    3 May 2026.  Syrian authorities report integrating four SDF brigades into the national army under a January 2026 agreement between Damascus and SDF forces, which outlined phases for reintegrating northeastern Syria after years of autonomous administration. An official cited “remarkable progress.”Read more at:  LEVANT 24

                    President Ahmad al-Sharaa during the informal emergency meeting of the European Union and Arab states on the disruption of energy, held in Nicosia, Cyprus, April 23, 2026. (SANA)
                    President Ahmad al-Sharaa during the informal emergency meeting of the European Union and Arab states on the disruption of energy, held in Nicosia, Cyprus, April 23, 2026. (SANA)

                    President al-Sharaa links security in Europe to stability in Middle East

                      24 April 2026.  Speaking to European and regional leaders at an emergency meeting, al-Sharaa presented Syria as a safe alternative corridor—linking Central Asia and the Gulf with Europe—for the flow of energy and trade. Citing shared responsibilities with new geopolitical realities, he called on the international community to halt Israel’s attacks on Syria.Read more at:  SANA

                      UN Security Council meets to discuss its humanitarian plan for Syria. (UN)
                      UN Security Council meets to discuss its humanitarian plan for Syria. (UN)

                      UN Security Council praises Syria’s progress and condemns Israel’s incursions

                        24 April 2026.  In a rare consensus, the entire Council endorsed the 2026 Humanitarian Needs and Response plan for Syria. Members praised Syria’s contributions to regional stability, and its increasing global integration; many condemned Israel’s constant attacks. Syria’s outstanding humanitarian needs were stressed by UN executives.Read more at:  LEVANT 24 

                        European Commission flag overlaps map of Syria, depicting evolving relations. (Syrian Observer)
                        European Commission flag overlaps map of Syria, depicting evolving relations. (Syrian Observer)

                        EU member states view Syria as viable partner after little over a year of recovery

                          21 April 2026.  Relations have been warming with the EU under Syria’s new leaders, the result of frequent diplomatic missions and the dramatic policy shifts and actions they have undertaken. Syria is being viewed as a reliable partner in many spheres of shared interest and as an alternate trade corridor in the Middle East. The EU-Syria Cooperation Agreement of 1978 will soon be restored.Read more at:  SYRIAN OBSERVER

                          Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, director-general of the OPEC Fund for International Development and Syrian Finance Minister, Muhammad Barnieh in Washington, DC. (L24)
                          Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, director-general of the OPEC Fund for International Development and Syrian Finance Minister, Muhammad Barnieh in Washington, DC. (L24)

                          Syria seeks renewal of international programs cancelled under old regime

                            19 April 2026.  During the annual spring meetings of the world’s major global financial institutions in Washington, Syria’s Finance Minister met with the World Bank, IMF and OPEC’s Fund for International Development to restart programs rescinded under the previous regime and present new initiatives.Read more at:  LEVANT 24

                            President Ahmad al-Sharaa is interviewed during Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Türkiye. (SANA)
                            President Ahmad al-Sharaa is interviewed during Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Türkiye. (SANA)

                            Syria seeks to serve as bridge between nations, President tells global forum

                              17 April 2026.  In a wide-ranging interview covering Syria’s positions on diverse issues, President al-Sharaa emphasized Syria’s commitment to helping resolve regional crises and developing regional stability, stressing its focus on diplomacy and the country’s potential as a secure trade and energy corridor.Read more at:  SANAWatch video at: YOUTUBE

                              Syrian and Jordanian foreign ministers formalize new agreements during the second session of the Higher Coordination Council in Amman. (SANA)
                              Syrian and Jordanian foreign ministers formalize new agreements during the second session of the Higher Coordination Council in Amman. (SANA)

                              Damascus and Amman moving toward a stable, longterm partnership

                                13 April 2026.  Marking a new phase in political and economic alignment, Syria and Jordan signed nine agreements to integrate essential national sectors. The accords, presided over by the two nations’ foreign ministers, reflect a shift from occasional cooperative efforts to a longterm partnership.Read more at:  SYRIAN OBSERVER

                                Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister, at press conference in Ankara. (SANA)
                                Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Hakan Fidan, Turkish Foreign Minister, at press conference in Ankara. (SANA)

                                Syria and Türkiye announce new phase of cooperation

                                  9 April 2026.  Calling Turkey a reliable ally and partner in Syria’s reconstruction, Minister al-Shaibani cited shared security and strategic goals, one of which is the Four Seas Project—a planned energy corridor formed by Syria and Turkey between the Arabian Gulf and the Caspian, Mediterranean, and Black seas.Read more at:  SANA

                                  Syria and UN convened workshop to strengthen 2027–2030 framework for sustainable development goals. (SANA)
                                  Syria and UN convened workshop to strengthen 2027–2030 framework for sustainable development goals. (SANA)

                                  UN team and Syrian government outline three-year development plan

                                    7 April 2026.  Syria and UN partners discussed priorities for Syria’s sustainable development, with a focus on President al-Sharaa’s “Syria Without Camps” initiative, which aims to close camps for displaced people and enable their safe return to dignified living conditions in their home communities.Read more at:  SANA

                                    Suweida Governor al Bakour received French envoy Jean Baptiste Faivre in Suweida, April 3, 2026. (SANA)
                                    Suweida Governor al Bakour received French envoy Jean Baptiste Faivre in Suweida, April 3, 2026. (SANA)

                                    French envoy engages in on the ground diplomacy in Suweida at pivotal moment

                                      6 April 2026.  French envoy Jean Baptiste Faivre met Suweida officials and community leaders to discuss issues of security, stability, and expanding cooperation. The meeting coincided with an allegedly imminent resolution of the 2025 conflict, suggesting that France may be preparing to engage in de-escalation activities.Read more at:  SYRIAN OBSERVER

                                      Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa greets UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher and UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo for a meeting in Damascus, April 2, 2026. (Syrian Presidency)
                                      Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa greets UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher and UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo for a meeting in Damascus, April 2, 2026. (Syrian Presidency)

                                      UN responds to Syria’s changing needs as nation’s recovery enters development phase

                                        3 April 2026.  The heads of the UN’s humanitarian and development agencies agreed that Syria has a growing need for development aid as it rebuilds, along with ongoing humanitarian assistance to serve millions of Syrians returning home and people displaced from conflict zones in neighboring countries.Read more at:  ENAB BALADI

                                        Iraqi fuel tankers enter Syria, destined for the Banias refinery on the Mediterranean coast. (Syria Petroleum SPC)
                                        Iraqi fuel tankers enter Syria, destined for the Banias refinery on the Mediterranean coast. (Syria Petroleum SPC)

                                        Syria boosts flow of oil through overland crossings to its Mediterranean ports

                                          2 April 2026.  As the Middle East war rages, Syria is becoming an alternative route between East and West, linking Gulf supplies of oil and gas to European markets. The Syrian Petroleum Company plans to expand its strategic role to support national interests while contributing to regional market stability.Read more at:  LEVANT 24

                                          Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hold a joint press conference in Berlin, March 30, 2026, during al-Sharaa’s first official visit to Germany. (Markus Schreiber:AP, AFP)
                                          Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hold a joint press conference in Berlin, March 30, 2026, during al-Sharaa’s first official visit to Germany. (Markus Schreiber:AP, AFP)

                                          Meeting in Berlin reflects Syria’s unique relationship with Germany, plus growing cooperation between Syria and Europe

                                            31 March 2026.  Thanking Germany for hosting many thousands of Syrians during the revolution, President Al-Sharaa and Chancellor Merz began talks on a ‘circular migration framework,’ enabling skilled Syrian professionals in Germany to help rebuild Syria while maintaining ties to Germany.Read more at:  LEVANT24Read more at:  SYRIANOBSERVER