Syria.. Faisal Al-Miqdad Appointed as Foreign Minister

Syria's President Bashar El Assad appointed veteran diplomat, Faisal Al-Miqdad, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, to succeed Walid Al-Muallem, who passed away last week.

Al-Miqdad (66 years) had held the position of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2006.

He also held a number of diplomatic positions, including the head of the Syrian delegation to the United Nations.

Syrian President El Assad has also appointed Bashar al-Jaafari, head of Syria’s current delegation to the United Nations, as deputy foreign minister.

Al-Miqdad is a staunch supporter of strengthening ties with Iran and Russia, the two main allies that helped shore up Assad's rule and allow him to regain most of the territory previously held by the armed opposition.