Foreign Minister and Minister of Expatriates Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani confirmed that Syria has regained its natural position in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), calling on member states to support its sovereignty and territorial integrity and to end Israeli aggression. Al-Shibani stated in the speech of the Syrian Arab Republic before the 52nd session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of OIC member states, held in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Saturday, that Syria regained its position in the organization on March 7, 2025, emphasizing its aspiration to exercise its membership fully and enhance cooperation with member states.
Return of Syrians and Closure of Camps
Al-Shibani pointed out that the humanitarian project documented the return of approximately 3.8 million Syrians to their areas since December 8, 2024, including more than 1.8 million refugees returning from abroad and more than 2 million internally displaced persons returning to their areas within the country. He clarified that the "Syria Without Camps" initiative has resulted in the closure of more than 200 camps so far, noting the issuance of Decree No. 59 of 2026 establishing the specialized Supervisory Committee, with the aim of ending the suffering of approximately 141,000 families still residing in camps, aiming to completely eliminate them by September 2027.
Stance on Israeli Aggression and Regional Issues
Al-Shibani stressed the necessity of Israeli forces withdrawing to the lines prior to December 8, 2024, and an immediate return to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, enabling the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) to fully perform its duties. Regarding the occupied Syrian Golan, he affirmed that it is a precious part of Syrian land, and any decision to annex it is "ink on paper" based on UN Security Council Resolution 497, reiterating Syria's stance standing by the Palestinian people in Gaza and their legitimate demands to stop the aggression.
Enhancing Joint Islamic Action
Al-Shibani proposed three aspirations to enhance joint Islamic action: first, including a clear and explicit paragraph in the "Baghdad Declaration" condemning Israeli incursions into Syria. Second, he expressed his gratitude to member states following the approval by the Special Committee to exempt Syria from its accumulated contributions during the freeze years, pledging to schedule Syria's contribution for 2025. The third aspiration involves enhancing the engagement of the Organization's bodies and the Islamic Development Bank in early recovery and reconstruction projects in Syria, in accordance with the humanitarian draft resolution.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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