Damascus, July 25 (SANA)Foreign and Expatriates Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani held an expanded meeting with U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and his accompanying delegation at Tishreen Palace in Damascus.

The visit is Guterres’ first to Syria since taking office in 2017 and the first by a U.N. secretary-general since Ban Ki-moon visited Damascus in 2009.

Ahead of Guterres’ arrival, the United Nations said the secretary-general would reaffirm the organization’s commitment to supporting the Syrian government and people during this critical stage in the country’s history, while emphasizing respect for Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

The U.N. also said the visit would provide Guterres with an opportunity to hear directly from Syrians about their hopes and challenges and to witness firsthand the impact of years of war.The meeting was attended by Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat, Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh, Governor of the Central Bank of Syria Safwan Raslan, and Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ibrahim Olabi.F.J./M.Z.