Bassam al-Sabbagh (Arabic: بسام الصباغ; born 1 January 1969)[3] is a Syrian diplomat and politician who has been Foreign and Expatriates Minister of Syria since 2024. He also served as Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations in New York City from 2020 to 2023.

Bassam al-Sabbagh
بسام الصباغ
al-Sabbagh in 2018
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates
Assumed office
23 September 2024
PresidentBashar al-Assad
Prime MinisterMohammad Ghazi al-Jalali
Preceded byFaisal Mekdad
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
17 October 2023 – 23 September 2024
PresidentBashar al-Assad
Prime MinisterHussein Arnous
Preceded byBashar Jaafari
Succeeded byAyman Raad
15th Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations
In office
22 November 2020 – 17 October 2023
PresidentBashar al-Assad
Preceded byBashar Jaafari
Succeeded byQusay al-Dahhak[1]
Permanent Representative of Syria to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
In office
31 October 2013 – 22 November 2020
PresidentBashar al-Assad
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byMilad Attiya[2]
Ambassador to Austria
In office
2010 – 22 November 2020
PresidentBashar al-Assad
Succeeded byHassan Khaddour
Member of the Central Committee of the Ba'ath Party
Assumed office
4 May 2024
Personal details
Born (1969-01-01) 1 January 1969 (age 55)
Aleppo, Syria
Political partyBa'ath Party
Alma materAleppo University
Damascus Higher Institute for Political Science
ProfessionDiplomat

Sabbagh is former Syria's permanent representative to the United Nations Office at Vienna the United Nations Office at Vienna, its former permanent representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and its former permanent representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency.[4]

Biography

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He was born on 1 January 1969 in Aleppo, Syria. In 1993, graduated from the University of Aleppo as a specialist in international relations, and has a bachelor's degree in political science from the Higher Institute of Political Science in Damascus.[3]

He also served as Syrian Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2020 to 2023. He addressed the General debate of the seventy-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2023. He was appointed as Foreign and Expatriates Minister on 23 September 2024.[5]

Career

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  • 1994-1995 - Attaché in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Syria;
  • 1995-2000 - Second, then First Secretary of the Syrian Embassy in Washington;
  • 2000-2001 - Alternate Director in the Office of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs;
  • 2001-2006 - Counselor at the Permanent Mission of Syria to the UN (New York);
  • 2006-2010 - Head of Administration at the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
  • 2010-2013 - Permanent Representative of Syria to the UN Office (Vienna).[6]
  • 2010-2020 - Ambassador to Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Italy.[7]
  • 2010-2020 - Resident Representative to the IAEA, UNIDO, UNODC (Vienna).[3]
  • 2013-2020 - Permanent Representative of Syria to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (The Hague).[8]
  • 2020-2023 - Head of the Syrian Mission at the UN Headquarters in New York.
  • 2023-2024 - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates
  • 2024-present - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates

References

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  1. ^ "Al-Dhahhak sworn in as Syria's Permanent Representative to the UN". Syrian Arab News Agency. 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  2. ^ "New Ambassador of Syria to the OPCW". SANA. 19 October 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "New Permanent Representative of Syria Presents Credentials | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases". www.un.org.
  4. ^ "Presidential decrees naming Dr. Mikdad as Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Dr. al-Jaafari as Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister". SANA. 22 November 2020. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Syria has a new foreign minister as prime minister names his Cabinet". Associated Press. 23 September 2024.
  6. ^ "New Permanent Representative of Syria Presents Credentials". ООН. 3 March 2010. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Syria Embassy in Vienna | Embassies in Vienna". www.123embassy.com.
  8. ^ "Member State - Syria". OPCW. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations
2020–2023
Succeeded by