The Syrian Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday, June 21, a set of appointments for department directors and advisers in various roles within the ministry.
The appointments included Saad Baroud as director of American affairs, Sally Shoubat as director of European affairs, Dr. Nada Aswad as director of Afro-Asian and Oceania affairs, Qutaiba Qadish as director of international cooperation, and Nahla Othman as director of expatriates and refugees.
Obaida Arnaout was also named director of diplomatic representation, Dima Moussa director of international agreements and treaties, Dr. Mohammad Abdul Salam director of protocol, Dr. Hassan Junaidi director of administrative development, Abdul Nasser Kashou director of cybersecurity, and Riyad al-Khader in the security and protection department.
The Foreign Ministry also appointed a group of advisers for several tasks, including Dr. Mohammad Taha al-Ahmad as adviser for Arab affairs, Ambassador Jihad Makdissi as adviser for American affairs, Dr. Hamza al-Mustafa as adviser for European affairs, Mohammad al-Jaffal as adviser for Afro-Asian affairs, Talal Kanaan for energy and environment affairs, and Dr. Mohammed Ghadban for academic development and diplomatic training.
Makdissi Expresses Pride in the Role
Former Syrian diplomat Jihad Makdissi said he is returning to the ranks of the new Syrian diplomacy with a deep sense of pride and gratitude.
He thanked Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Minister Asaad al-Shaibani for what he described as “his generous trust in granting him the title of ambassador of the Syrian Arab Republic, and assigning him as adviser for American affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.”
Makdissi had been appointed official spokesperson for the Syrian Foreign Ministry after the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011.
He remained in his post from October 2011 until his defection in December 2012, when he moved to work with the opposition.
Makdissi became one of the most prominent political figures of the “Cairo Platform,” which focused on finding negotiated political solutions.
Openness in Foreign Relations
The diplomatic appointments came amid an improvement in Syria’s foreign relations at the regional and international levels.
The new Syrian government succeeded in restoring diplomatic relations with major world powers such as the United States, Russia, China, and European Union countries.
It also established cooperation ties with Arab countries and governments, foremost among them Saudi Arabia and Qatar, in addition to Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.
Before the fall of the Assad regime, Syria had suffered diplomatic estrangement from most countries in the world, except Russia, China, Iran, and a few other states.
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