Cyprus News Agency

Key highlights from Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara’s speech:

“After the transitional government, we entered an electoral atmosphere and the Syrian Parliament was established. It will soon hold its first meeting and first plenary session, while the constitutional process continues. The focus is on what the country will look like in five years.

First, the aim of the constitutional declaration was to fill Syria’s political vacuum. It aimed to establish the parliament, restructure the economy, institutionalize governance, and normalize our international relations. We have already taken the first step, which was lifting sanctions.

Within five years, Syria will need a population census. Over the past 14 years, the country has experienced massive migration both internally and externally. During this period, we must strengthen the territorial integrity of the state.

Syria seeks to shape its reconstruction policy based on an investment-driven vision. We support an investment-based reconstruction process. The investment climate needs to be strengthened.

The Syrian issue is a very large one. We have kept Syria away from conflict. In the past, Syria had become, so to speak, a “mailbox” for conflicts, but that is no longer the case today.

Syria will be Syria. From a historical perspective, it hosts one of the greatest capitals known to humanity. Syria will revive its civilization, its history, and its nobility once again.”