SANA - Syrian Arab News Agency

The Permanent Mission of Hungary to the EU organized an international conference at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels titled “Protecting Syrian Cultural Heritage in a Changing Political Landscape.”

The event focused on analyzing current political developments and their impact on heritage, proposing practical strategies for preservation and restoration, and fostering international cooperation under the EU framework.

Anas Haj Zeidan, Director-General of Antiquities and Museums, delivered a keynote, urging support for Syria’s heritage protection and recovery efforts.

Participants included representatives from EU countries—Italy, France, Germany, Hungary, Cyprus, and Greece—as well as international organizations such as UNESCO, ALIPH, and the European Parliament.

Syrian Minister of Local Administration and Environment, Mohammad Anjarani, met Thursday with a delegation from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Damascus to discuss prospects for joint cooperation.

The talks focused on building effective partnerships in areas of mutual interest, particularly in training and capacity-building to support sustainable development.

Both sides emphasized the importance of continued coordination to implement future programs that deliver long-term positive impact.

Syrian Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed Al-Saleh met Thursday with Robert Petty, head of the Independent International Mechanism, in Damascus to discuss enhancing cooperation on the chemical weapons file.

Minister Al-Saleh emphasized the importance of joint efforts in evidence collection and accountability, praising the mechanism’s role in pursuing justice for Syrians.

Petty, in turn, expressed appreciation for the collaboration with Syrian authorities and affirmed the mechanism’s commitment to its legal and humanitarian mandate.

The visit is part of broader international efforts to support justice in humanitarian cases, particularly those involving chemical weapons.

Student Mazen Fendi was awarded third place in the Under-12 division at the World Chess Championship, held in Almaty, Kazakhstan at the end of last September.

Minister of Education, Dr. Mohammad Abdul Rahman Tarkou, honored student Mazen in recognition of his outstanding achievement.

The event, which ran from September 19 to 30, 2025, featured over 800 participants from 84 countries.

Damascus – SANA

President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued Thursday decree No. 197 for 2025, which cancels the enforcement of decree No. 117 of 2023, that appointed engineer Ahmad Abdul-Raouf Kamal Al-Din Al-Shammat as Deputy Minister of petroleum for refining and distribution affairs.

In an attempt to distort the truth and spread fear among citizens, a false rumor is being circulated claiming the existence of a Political Security Branch linked to the Ministry of Interior, allegedly pursuing citizens based on their political and ideological views, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior, Nour al-Din al-Baba said Thursday.

“We affirm that this rumor is entirely baseless. We remind everyone that the so-called Political Security Division, which was part of the Ministry of Interior under the deposed regime, was completely dissolved due to its role in oppressing the Syrian people and committing violations against them, along with other criminal branches. This was officially announced at the Blessed Syrian Revolution Victory Conference on January 29th of the current year,” al-Baba added.

We emphasize the Ministry of Interior’s commitment to upholding the values of freedom, justice and dignity for all citizens, al-Baba concluded.  

Mazen

President Ahmad Sharaa issued on Thursday Decree No. (191) for the year 2025, appointing Dr. Obada Mohammad Al-Tamer as President of the Syrian Virtual University ( SVU )

President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued Thursday Decree No. (193) for the year 2025, which considers Idleb university as officially established on August 2nd, 2015.

General Yahya Baytar, Director of Training at the Syrian Air Force and Air Defense Command, met on Thursday with a Russian military delegation, led by Rear Admiral Oleg Viktorovich Kornibenko.

The meeting, attended by senior officers from various military departments, focused on advancing training programs and enhancing operational readiness across key specialties.

President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued Thursday Decree No. 190 for 2025, appointing Mr. Abdul Karim Idris as director of the General Directorate of Real Estate Affairs.

President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmad al-Sharaa, issued on Thursday Decree No. 198 for 2025, establishing the Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC).

“A public holding company with an economic character, fully owned by the state, named the Syrian Petroleum Company, shall be established in the Syrian Arab Republic. It shall enjoy a body corporate, financial, and administrative independence and shall be headquartered in Damascus,” the decree stated.

President Ahmad al-Sharaa issued Decree No. (187) for the year 2025, appointing Abdul Bari Mohamed Al-Saj as Deputy Head of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation and Air Transport for Administrative and Financial Affairs

The Syrian Ministry of Agriculture held talks on Thursday with representatives from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP) to enhance food security data analysis through the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system.

The meeting focused on improving field survey methods, training national staff, and setting up a liaison team to coordinate with international partners.

Minister Amjad Badr emphasized Syria’s commitment to cooperating with United Nations organizations in food security data collection and analysis, as well as modernizing agricultural data practices.”

FAO and WFP officials reaffirmed their support for Syria’s food security goals, highlighting the importance of accurate data and technical capacity building to guide future interventions.

The Syrian Ministry of Economy and Industry signed on Thursday a Memorandum of Understanding with Iraq’s Vertex Investment Group to rehabilitate and upgrade the third production line of Hama Cement Plant.

Under the agreement, Vertex will raise daily output of the third line from 3,300 to 5,000 tons of clinker within 13 months. It will also construct a new line with a capacity of 6,000 tons per day. This will raise the plant’s total production to approximately 11,000 tons daily over the next five years.

The agreement also includes provisions for workforce training, quality standards, adherence to international environmental standards, safety, and industrial security protocols—aiming to boost the competitiveness of Syria’s cement industry.

Speaking during a meeting with the Vertex delegation, Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry, Bassel Abdel Hanan, highlighted the strategic importance of this investment.

Health authorities in Gaza announced on Thursday that the intensified Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have killed 77 Palestinians and injured 220 others during the past 24 hours.

In its daily report, the Ministry of Health in Gaza (MoH) said that “hospitals in the Gaza Strip have received 77 deaths and 220 new injuries within 24 hours”, bringing the cumulative toll to 66,225 deaths and 168,938 injuries since October 7, 2023.

The report added that some of the victims are still under the wreckage and on the streets as civil defense and health rescue teams are unable to reach them.

The ministry reported 2 additional deaths and 44 injuries in aid-related incidents bringing the total number of aid-related deaths to 2,582, with more than 18,974 injuries.

In the West Bank, Israeli occupation forces raided several towns and villages in occupied Al-Quds, and arrested two young men, Palestinian News Agency WAFA reported.

According to the Palestinian Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, the number of prisoners in Israeli detention centers in the West Bank has reached 10,800.

The Global Sumud flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces Wednesday midnight in international waters while en route to Gaza to break Israeli blockade and deliver aid to two million Palestinians living under siege.

Palestinian authorities condemned the assault as a “war crime and a violation of international law and the Geneva Conventions”, calling for the protection of activists and accountability for Israel’s actions.

The Israeli measure was met by widespread international condemnation as Colombia expelled the Israeli mission and canceled its free trade agreement. Turkey and Spain labeled the attack a “terrorist act and a crime”.

Belgium, Ireland, France, Malaysia, Brazil, and the United Kingdom urged Israel to “protect their citizens and ensure the safety of all participants”.

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese stated that the detention of activists is illegal, and criticized certain Western governments for their complicity.

The flotilla had departed from Spain with more than 40 ships and hundreds of activists from 40 countries carrying humanitarian aid, before the Israeli navy seized the vessels 70 nautical miles from Gaza and detained those on board.

Egypt and Sudan reiterated their unified rejection of any unilateral measures on the Nile River, stressing the need for full compliance with international law in the Eastern Nile Basin.

Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a statement on the official website that Foreign Minister Badr Abdelaty and Sudanese Prime Minister Kamel Idris discussed in Port Sudan on Wednesday evening bilateral relations and the situation in Sudan in addition to the water security of the two countries.

They emphasized the need for “full compliance with international law in the Eastern Nile Basin and the complete rejection of unilateral measures on the Nile River,” in a reference to Ethiopia’s building of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

The Dam, on the Blue Nile is considered one of the most prominent regional issues threatening water security in both Egypt and Sudan.

The draw for the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Finals, held Thursday in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, placed Syria’s Olympic football team in Group B alongside heavyweights Japan, Qatar, and the UAE.

Group B is shaping up to be one of the toughest in the tournament, given the strength and pedigree of the teams—particularly  Japan.

Syria booked its spot in the finals, set to be hosted by Saudi Arabia from January 7 to 25 next year, after a dominant showing in the qualifiers, where it topped Group 11 with a perfect record.

Syrian Airlines signed on Thursday an agreement with the global IT company SITA to improve communication and software services for the national carrier.

The signing took place at the headquarters of the Civil Aviation and Air Transport Authority in Damascus.

To be continued…

The Internal Security Forces in the Dreikish area of Tartous Governorate have arrested members of an outlawed group involved in targeting army and security forces on March 6.

In a statement published on the Ministry of Interior’s Telegram channel, Colonel Abdel Aal Mohammed Abdel Aal, Head of Internal Security in Tartous, stated that the new arrests came after a security operation carried out in Dreikish a few days ago, targeting the group’s leader, Bashar Hammoud.

On September 25, Internal Security Forces carried out a precise security operation following continuous surveillance of the criminal Bashar Hammoud.

He was wanted for his involvement in the killing of the deputy security chief of Dreikish and for participating in criminal acts carried out by remnants of the defunct regime last March.