U.N. chief Antonio Guterres will travel to Syria later this week to show his support for the political transition in the country -- the first visit by a U.N. secretary-general since 2009, the world body said on July 22.
"I'm pleased to inform the Security Council that the Secretary-General will travel to Syria later this week at the invitation of the government," the deputy U.N. special envoy to the country, Claudio Cordone, said during a council meeting.
During the visit, Guterres will meet with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who ousted longtime leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, as well as representatives of civil society and non-governmental organizations supporting women's issues.
"Throughout his stay, he will raffirm the United Nations commitment to supporting the Syrian government and the Syrian people at this defining period in Syria's history," Cordone said.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric added that Guterres would also visit U.N. peacekeepers stationed in a buffer zone in the Golan Heights since 1974 to maintain the ceasefire between Israel and Syria.
Guterres will be the first U.N. chief to visit Syria since Ban Ki-moon in 2009.
A U.N. Security Council delegation visited Syria in December.
