Syrian President outlines four main priorities for the next stage in his first cabinet meeting / Reuters
Sharaa's directives to his country's government, chairing its first meeting on Monday, included four main points, including an emphasis on "the importance of integration among ministries to develop emergency plans that prioritize the Syrian citizen's priority in terms of stimulating the economy, thus positively impacting their daily needs."
He also called for "repairing the great damage caused by the former regime to the state's infrastructure, particularly in the economic and financial systems, which require urgent action to provide a safe investment environment that transforms challenges into massive investment opportunities that drive the economy."
He stressed "the importance of the reconstruction file and the need to develop strategic plans to organize cities and towns," emphasizing "the cultural and civilizational connection with urban development."
He emphasized "the principle of civil peace as the primary regulator of government action during the coming period, and related issues, such as media discourse, which must be national and inclusive, strengthening national unity and rising above all divisions, as Syria belongs to all its citizens."
President Sharaa listened to his government ministers' initial visions after officially assuming their duties, urging them to "present comprehensive plans to the next cabinet meeting for evaluation and implementation as soon as possible."
The ministers, each according to their respective areas of expertise, delivered their interventions to President Sharaa. The most prominent of these concerns addressed the issue of economic sanctions and the attempt to leverage the positive international support for the new government to accelerate the process of recovery and reconstruction, and confront the various challenges.
The meeting addressed recent internal developments on key issues, most notably the rebuilding of a professional national army, the restriction of weapons to the state, and the completion of the agreement with the terrorist PKK/YPG (the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces) to achieve integration into the state's civilian and military institutions. The meeting also addressed the military factions in Sweida.
On March 10, the Syrian presidency announced the signing of an agreement merging the terrorist PKK/YPG (the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces) into state institutions, affirming the country's territorial integrity and rejecting partition. On March 29, the formation of a new government was announced at the People's Palace in Damascus, replacing the caretaker government.
The new government includes 23 ministers, including one woman, and five ministers from the transitional government formed on December 10, 2024, to manage the country's affairs following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime (2000-2024).
On December 8, 2024, Syrian factions took control of Damascus and other cities, ending 61 years of bloody Baath Party rule and 53 years of Assad family rule.