New York, Sept. 22 (SANA) President Ahmad al-Sharaa said Tuesday that Syria is pursuing a diplomatic approach to address regional issues and establish lasting peace, while stressing Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.
Speaking at a panel discussion hosted by the Atlantic Council in New York on Syria’s future, reconstruction and regional role, President al-Sharaa said Israel has carried out repeated aggressions on Syrian territory since the fall of the deposed regime and continues to occupy part of it.
“Syria has chosen a diplomatic path and turned to dialogue with the support of friendly countries,” he said.
Lasting peace and regional security
President al-Sharaa stressed that Syria is working toward lasting peace with Israel, provided that Syrian rights are guaranteed and Syrian territory is not occupied.
“Peace can only be achieved when Syria’s rights are restored,” he said.
Addressing Israel’s approach to Syria, the president said “Shaping Israel’s policies toward Syria based on what happened in Gaza is the wrong approach. Exaggerating security concerns creates risks, and if you want to safeguard your own security, you must respect the security of others.”
Foreign military bases and sovereignty
The president said Syria’s policy is to remove foreign military bases from its territory while preserving national unity and cooperating with all countries to strengthen the Syrian state’s territorial integrity and independence.
“Any military presence on Syrian territory must have a legal framework approved by the People’s Assembly and a legal formula that safeguards the rights of the Syrian state,” he said, adding that Syria does not need foreign military bases in the foreseeable future.
Regarding Syria’s dialogue with Russia, President al-Sharaa said the two sides had agreed to reduce the number of Russian bases in Syria to two and convert them into training bases for the Syrian Army.
President al-Sharaa said Turkish forces entered Syria under circumstances related to Turkish border security, at a time when the region was experiencing conflicts and wars. The number of bases in northwestern Syria has since been reduced, he said, adding that discussions with Türkiye are continuing to determine the legal framework governing its presence.
On regional energy cooperation, the President said Syria is working to establish a safe corridor for Iraqi oil exports through Syrian ports.
“There is a strategic project to build an oil pipeline linking Iraqi oil fields to Syrian ports to facilitate exports and avoid passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
President al-Sharaa also described Syria’s relations with the Iraqi Kurdistan Region as “very good,” citing shared economic, political and security interests.
He said Syria maintains excellent relations with President Masoud Barzani and praised the region’s contribution to helping stabilize the situation in Syria and supporting the integration of the SDF into the Syrian state.
Domestic affairs and state institutions
On domestic issues, President al-Sharaa said Syria is working with numerous countries to strengthen state institutions, including through training and the exchange of expertise.
He said the five-year transitional period should not be viewed as a measure of the continuity of the Syrian state, stressing the importance of establishing respect for the law and ensuring that state institutions operate according to the law and Constitution.
“We are working to ensure that power is not concentrated in one person, but that all state institutions perform their roles in accordance with the law and Constitution,” he said.
The president also spoke about his public service, saying that he and those working with him had devoted themselves to serving the Syrian people over the past two decades.
“The presidency was never our focus as much as serving the people, lifting injustice from them and promoting economic development,” he said.
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