Damascus-SANA- President Bashar al-Assad granted the Syrian Order of Merit of the Excellent degree to Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa in Damascus, Barry Philip Gilder who ends his mission as an Ambassador of his country to Syria.
Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Fayssal Mikdad, awarded the Ambassador the Order of Merit in appreciation of his efforts in developing relations between the two friendly countries, at a farewell ceremony held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.
Mikdad, in a speech at the ceremony, described bilateral relations as historic and deep , appreciating the efforts exerted by Ambassador Gilder during his work in boosting relations between the two sides.
He hailed South Africa’s stance in combating terrorism and the apartheid regime and in supporting the just causes of peoples, foremost of which is the Palestinian issue and the struggle of the Palestinian people in the face of the Israeli continued crimes, particularly in Gaza.
For his part, Ambassador Gilder expressed his appreciation for the great honor he received from President al-Assad by awarding him the Syrian Order of Merit of the excellent class, expressing his pride in the work he did in the service of enhancing his country’s relations with Syria.
Ambassador Gilder stressed his country’s condemnation of the war waged by “Israel” against the Palestinian people in Gaza Strip and the necessity of ending it immediately, and the importance of the international recognition of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, especially in establishing their state on their land.