Faisal Mekdad
Faisal Mekdad | |
|---|---|
فيصل المقداد | |
.jpg) Mekdad in 2017 | |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates | |
| Assumed office 22 November 2020 | |
| President | Bashar al-Assad |
| Prime Minister | Hussein Arnous |
| Preceded by | Walid Muallem |
| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 1 August 2006 – 22 November 2020 | |
| President | Bashar al-Assad |
| Preceded by | Walid Muallem |
| Succeeded by | Bashar Jaafari |
| 13th Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations | |
| In office 2003 – 31 July 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Mikhail Wehbe |
| Succeeded by | Bashar Jaafari |
| Member of the Central Command of the Ba'ath Party | |
| Assumed office 4 May 2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 February 1954 Ghasm, Daraa Governorate, Syria |
| Political party | Ba'ath Party |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Damascus |
| Alma mater | Damascus University Charles University in Prague |
| Profession | Politician, Diplomat |
Faisal Mekdad (Arabic: فيصل المقداد; born 5 February 1954)[1] is a Syrian diplomat and politician who has been Foreign Minister of Syria since 2020. He served as Syria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 2003 until 2006.[2]
Life and education
[edit]Faisal Mekdad was born in the village of Ghasm in Daraa Governorate in 1954. He graduated in 1978 from Damascus University with a degree in English. He was awarded a PhD in English Literature from Charles University in Prague in 1993.[3] While at Charles University, he was a part of the International Union of Students.[4] He was also a member of the executive office of Revolutionary Youth Union.
He was active in the Syrian student movement and student leadership at Damascus University, where he won first prize for his academic research on the history of the Asian student movement.[5]
Career
[edit]After graduating from Charles University, Mekdad joined the Syrian Foreign Ministry. In 1995, he became a member of the Permanent Syrian Delegation to the UN where he represented Syria in numerous conferences. In 1996, he was appointed Deputy to the Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations, under Mikhail Wehbe.[3]
In 2003, Mekdad became the Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations, a position he held until 2006, when he was appointed Deputy Foreign Minister.[3] He was awarded the Order of Civil Merit by the Spanish King Juan Carlos.
On 22 November 2020, following the death of Walid Muallem, Mekdad became the Minister of Foreign Affairs.[6]
Syrian civil war
[edit]Mekdad denied accusations of an alleged crackdown on protesters after the start of the Syrian civil war. In interviews with Western and Arab Media outlets about the uprising, he spoke in support of Bashar al-Assad.[4]
He backed the government claim that his government was fighting armed terrorist insurgents. In 2013, when asked by a BBC reporter whether the government was winning the war, he responded: "We shall win it, we are winning it, yes."[7] Mekdad was part of the delegation representing the Syrian government at the Geneva II Conference on Syria. [8]
In January 2021, the European Union added Mekdad to its sanction list due to his role during the civil war.[9] The United Kingdom followed two months later, saying he "shares responsibility for the Syrian regime’s violent repression against the civilian population".[10]
Personal life
[edit]Faisal Mekdad is married and has one son and two daughters.[3] Mekdad's father was kidnapped by gunmen on 18 May 2013 in his village of Ghasm.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ السيرة الذاتية للدكتور فيصل المقداد وزير الخارجية والمغتربين (in Arabic)
- ^ "Syrians pressed on Hariri inquiry". BBC. 26 August 2005. Retrieved 10 December 2010.
- ^ a b c d "صحيفة الثورة". thawra.alwehda.gov.sy.
- ^ a b "Faisal al-Mekdad". Archived from the original on 2014-04-07.
- ^ نبذة عن السيرة الذاتية للدكتور فيصل مقدا�� نائب وزير الخارجية Archived 2011-08-14 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Syria Appoints Veteran Diplomat Faisal Mekdad as Foreign Minister". Voice of America. Reuters. 22 November 2020. Retrieved 23 November 2020.
- ^ "Syria minister Faisal Mekdad says 'we are winning the war'". BBC. 24 April 2013.
- ^ "وفد النظام السوري إلى "جنيف 2" برئاسة وليد المعلم". Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2014-04-02.
- ^ "SYRIA: New minister of Foreign Affairs added to the sanction list". European External Action Service. 16 January 2021.
- ^ "New UK sanctions targeting Assad regime for repressing the Syrian people". GOV.UK. 2021-03-15. Retrieved 2022-09-14.
- ^ "Father of Assad spokesman kidnapped". BBC. 18 May 2013.