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Syrian interim government appoints new foreign minister

Syria's HTS-led transitional government has appointed Asaad Hassan al-Shibani as the country's foreign minister. Al-Shibani, who was born in 1987 in the north-eastern province al-Hasakah, has been active in the opposition since the outbreak of the civil war in Syria in spring 2011.

AFP WORLD
Published December 21,2024
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Saturday, the Syrian Interim Government appointed Asaad Hassan Al-Shibani as its new foreign minister, according to the ruling General Command.

Al-Shibani previously served as the head of Political Affairs for the civilian administration in Idlib province.

In this role, he managed relations with representatives of foreign governments and institutions and oversaw coordination with UN agencies and international aid organizations.

Born in 1987 in Hasakah, Al-Shibani moved to the capital with his family, where he graduated from Damascus University in 2009 with a degree in English Language and Literature.

Al-Shibani was involved in the Syrian uprising in 2011, joining the grassroots movement that called for freedom and challenged the regime's authority.

Bashar Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.

The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.