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Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa presented his administration’s approach to rebuilding core institutions during a conversation hosted by the Atlantic Council’s Syria Project. The September 22 event focused on the country’s transition nine months after the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. Al-Sharaa placed initial emphasis on security sector changes as the foundation for broader state-building efforts.
The president told participants that his government had begun by dismantling armed factions and placing all weapons under a single state army. According to Al-Sharaa, this unification places security responsibilities solely with national forces rather than competing groups. An Atlantic Council analysis of the postwar period has identified integrating diverse ethnic and religious communities as an urgent parallel priority to prevent further sectarian tensions.
Al-Sharaa explained that current laws remain in force while the newly elected people’s assembly reviews and refines them. He referenced Law 107 on local governance as an existing framework under evaluation, noting that governors continue to be appointed by the president under prevailing regulations. The leader cautioned against systems that allocate power by ethnic or sectarian quotas, pointing to risks of fragmentation similar to those seen in other regional states.
In the discussion, Al-Sharaa reiterated the goal of complete national sovereignty without foreign military bases. He reported that diplomatic engagement had already reduced inherited Russian facilities to two locations. The president added that the transitional phase must give way to a model grounded in legal respect and institutional authority instead of personal rule.
Atlantic Council experts have tracked the new government’s efforts to revive the economy and attract investment amid reconstruction demands. Al-Sharaa positioned these steps within a wider aim of restoring Syria’s regional role through alignment on security issues, including countering external interference and residual militant threats. The conversation underscored ongoing work to normalize ties with neighbors and global partners while addressing the legacies of prolonged conflict.
