The 23rd edition of the Doha Forum opened in the Qatari capital under the theme “Establishing Justice: From Promises to Tangible Reality,” drawing heads of state, experts, diplomats, and a distinguished international audience.
Syria’s President Ahmad al-Sharaa arrived on Friday, December 5, to participate in the high-profile gathering, accompanied by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Minister of Higher Education Dr. Marwan al-Halabi. This year’s forum focuses on mechanisms to translate the principles of justice into actionable policies within the international system, and President Sharaa’s presence signals Syria’s renewed engagement with global diplomacy after years of isolation.
From Isolation to Restoration
In a dialogue session at the forum, Sharaa reflected on Syria’s turbulent decades. He described the country as having endured “dangerous stages over the past 60 years” marked by isolation and a severe economic siege, attributing this to “the policies of the defunct regime.”
He emphasized that in the period immediately preceding liberation, Syria was preparing to re-enter Damascus politically and institutionally, and after liberation, it successfully regained many of its international relations. The President framed his government’s actions as steps taken solely in national interest, declaring that Syria has shifted “from an exporter of crises into a region that could be a model for regional stability.”
President Sharaa asserted that the world has reopened channels to Syria because of its geographic and political weight in regional stability. He noted intensified diplomatic coordination with influential states and highlighted Syria’s unified position regarding territories occupied by Israel after December 8, 2024.
A Return to Diplomatic Centrality
He concluded his remarks by positioning Syria’s re-emergence as part of a broader regional and global recalibration. He stated that the country’s liberation and renewed diplomatic posture placing it at the center of conversations about regional security, stability, and justice. Syria’s participation in the Doha Forum represents not only symbolic reintegration but a substantive step toward restoring its presence in international forums and shaping the debates that define the evolving regional order.
