Faisal Mekdad

Faisal Mekdad was born in the village of Ghasm in Daraa Governorate in 1954.[http://mofaex.gov.sy/ar/pages14/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B0%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%83%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B5%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%BA%D8%AA%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86 السيرة الذاتية للدكتور فيصل المقداد وزير الخارجية والمغتربين] {{in lang|ar}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://thawra.alwehda.gov.sy/_print_veiw.asp?FileName=70761992220060211152804|title=صحيفة الثورة|website=thawra.alwehda.gov.sy}} While at Charles University, he was a part of the International Union of Students.{{cite web|url=http://middle-east.we-magazine.net/ionadmin/site/showTopic/6a9c5e81-247f-43f7-874e-8fe646887674 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407064158/http://middle-east.we-magazine.net/ionadmin/site/showTopic/6a9c5e81-247f-43f7-874e-8fe646887674 |title=Faisal al-Mekdad |archivedate=2014-04-07 }} 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.[http://thawra.alwehda.gov.sy/_print_veiw.asp?FileName=70761992220060211152804 نبذة عن السيرة الذاتية للدكتور فيصل مقداد نائب وزير الخارجية] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814035407/http://thawra.alwehda.gov.sy/_print_veiw.asp?FileName=70761992220060211152804|date=14 أغسطس 2011}}

After graduating from Charles University, Mekdad joined the Syrian Foreign Ministry. In 1994, Dr. al-Mekdad moved to work in the diplomatic corps at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as First Secretary in the Department of International Organizations and Conferences. In 1995, he was transferred to the Permanent Delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations, where he worked in various UN committees.

In 1996, he was appointed Deputy to the Permanent Representative of Syria to the United Nations, under Mikhail Wehbe. 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. He was awarded the Order of Civil Merit by the Spanish King Juan Carlos I.{{cn|date=September 2024}}

On 22 November 2020, following the death of Walid Muallem, Mekdad became the Minister of Foreign Affairs.{{cite news|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/middle-east_syria-appoints-veteran-diplomat-faisal-mekdad-foreign-minister/6198685.html|title=Syria Appoints Veteran Diplomat Faisal Mekdad as Foreign Minister|agency=Reuters|publisher=Voice of America|date=22 November 2020|access-date=23 November 2020}} Between 2023 and 2024, he participated in talks on Syrian–Turkish normalization.[https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/10/russia-syria-turkey-and-iran-hold-high-level-talks-in-moscow Russia, Syria, Turkey and Iran hold high-level talks in Moscow] After 2023, he was also an integral part of the negotiations and meetings during the Syrian-Arab normalization and the restoration of Syria's full membership in the Arab League.{{Cite news |date=12 April 2023 |title=Saudi Arabia, Syria welcome thaw in ties, agree to fight drug trafficking |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/isolated-syrias-fm-arrives-saudi-arabia-landmark-visit-2023-04-12/ |access-date=24 September 2024 |work=Reuters}}{{cite web|url=https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2023/05/07/Arab-foreign-ministers-to-discuss-Syria-s-return-to-Arab-League-Sudan-conflict|title=Arab foreign ministers agree to readmit Syria to the Arab League|publisher=Al Arabiya|date=7 May 2023}}

He was appointed as vice president for foreign and information policies on 23 September 2024.{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/syria-government-sabbagh-eefb8c3d3d37c48505ccc3094704403e |title=Syria has a new foreign minister as prime minister names his Cabinet |website=Associated Press |date=23 September 2024}} On 10 October 2024, Dr. Faisal Al-Miqdad was sworn in before President Bashar Al-Assad as new Vice President of the Republic.{{Cite news|url=https://www.sana.sy/?p=2147277|title=أمام الرئيس الأسد… المقداد يؤدي اليمين الدستورية نائباً لرئيس الجمهورية|publisher=Syrian Arab News Agency|date=2 October 2024|access-date=4 October 2024}} His positions in the cabinet ended after the fall of the Assad regime.

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.

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."{{cite web|title=Syria minister Faisal Mekdad says 'we are winning the war'| date=24 April 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UahEkWSXn8|publisher=BBC}} Mekdad was part of the delegation representing the Syrian government at the Geneva II Conference on Syria. {{cite web|url=http://arabic.yenisafak.com/arap-dunyasi-haber/21.1.2014%20-15636|title=وفد النظام السوري إلى "جنيف 2" برئاسة وليد المعلم|access-date=2014-04-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407070813/http://arabic.yenisafak.com/arap-dunyasi-haber/21.1.2014%20-15636|archive-date=2014-04-07|url-status=dead}}

In January 2021, the European Union added Mekdad to its sanction list due to his role during the civil war.{{cite web |url=https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/syria/91499/syria-new-minister-foreign-affairs-added-sanction-list_en |title=SYRIA: New minister of Foreign Affairs added to the sanction list |website=European External Action Service |date=16 January 2021 }} The United Kingdom followed two months later, saying he "shares responsibility for the Syrian regime’s violent repression against the civilian population".{{cite web | title=New UK sanctions targeting Assad regime for repressing the Syrian people | website=GOV.UK | date=2021-03-15 | url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-uk-sanctions-targeting-assad-regime-for-repressing-the-syrian-people | access-date=2022-09-14}}

Faisal Mekdad is married and has one son and two daughters. Mekdad's father was kidnapped by gunmen on 18 May 2013 in his village of Ghasm.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-22582583|title=Father of Assad spokesman kidnapped|date=18 May 2013|publisher=BBC}}

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Category:1954 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Daraa District

Category:Syrian Muslims

Category:Permanent representatives of Syria to the United Nations

Category:Damascus University alumni

Category:Charles University alumni

Category:Foreign ministers of Syria

Category:Syrian individuals subject to the European Union sanctions