Published On 11/5/2026
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani said on Monday that the negotiations with Israel, which took place under American mediation, have not yet reached tangible results.
During a press conference in Brussels with European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Affairs Dubravka Šoica, Al-Shaibani expressed his country’s aspiration To reach a stable and calm relationship with the Israeli side.
He stressed Syria’s full commitment to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, Activating the role of the international UNDOF forces to separate the two sides.
Several rounds of negotiations were held between Syria and Israel under American sponsorship at the beginning of this year and last year, but they did not yield results.
Earlier this year, a Syrian source said that the negotiations are focused on reactivating the disengagement agreement to ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces to before the lines of December 8, 2024, within the framework of an equal security agreement that places full Syrian sovereignty above all considerations, and ensures the prevention of any form of interference in Syrian internal affairs.
Since 1967, Israel has occupied most of the area of the Syrian Golan Heights. It took advantage of the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in late 2024, announced the collapse of the disengagement agreement, and occupied the Syrian buffer zone.
The situation in Lebanon
Regarding the regional issue, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani expressed his country’s concern about the situation in Lebanon, pointing out that there are security concerns regarding “some armed militias” that operate outside the state’s sovereignty, accusing them of being involved in the Syrian crisis and contributing to the displacement of citizens.
In return, he praised the recent positive talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to enhance economic cooperation.
On Saturday, Salam made his second visit to Damascus since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, and said that he discussed with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa everything that would achieve the interests of the two countries.
Reconstruction is a priority
Regarding internal affairs, the Syrian Foreign Minister said that the focus is on reconstruction, stabilizing Syria, and creating a safe environment for the return of Syrians.
Al-Shaibani stressed the unity of the Syrian social fabric, saying, “We have Syrian citizens, and there are no concepts of majority and minority. The rights of everyone are protected under the roof of the state.”
He said that completing infrastructure reform is the basic foundation for ensuring sustainable stability.
Strategic partners
Regarding Syria’s foreign relations, Asaad Al-Shaibani thanked the European Union countries for hosting Syrian refugees for 14 years, stressing that Syria views the Union, the United States, and the Gulf states as strategic partners in the recovery phase.
He pointed out that the partnership with Europe is based on respect for Syria’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In conjunction with the visit of the Syrian Foreign Minister to Brussels, the European Council reactivated the economic cooperation agreement with Syria. The Council said, in a statement, that the decision constitutes an important step towards strengthening relations between the two parties.
During the joint press conference with Al-Shaibani, the European Commissioner for Mediterranean Affairs, Dubravka Świča, affirmed that the European Union stands by the Syrian people in their transitional path from conflict to recovery.
Schwitsa announced a practical step to strengthen this path, as it revealed the injection of a European contribution worth 14 million euros allocated to rehabilitate and rehabilitate some basic health facilities in Syria.
She explained that this support aims to restore quality health services to Syrians, and is part of a larger package to support infrastructure and basic services, stressing that the European Union is working to accelerate the financial aid allocated for the years 2025 and 2026 to support social justice and build Syrian institutions.
