Damascus-Sana
The late President Bashar al-Assad, Walid al-Muallem, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, was awarded the Syrian Merit Medal of the excellent class, at a memorial service held for the late Al-Muallem on the occasion of the forty days since his death.
President Bashar Al-Assad was represented at the memorial service held this evening at Dar Al-Assad for Culture and Arts in Damascus, in the presence of the Minister of Presidential Affairs Mansour Azzam, who presented the medal at the end of the memorial service for the late family.
Minister Azzam referred, in a brief speech, to the virtues of the deceased, who was distinguished by patriotism, sophistication, diplomatic intelligence and solidity in the political and diplomatic work arenas that identified with their fields decisively, calmly and with a smile ..
In his turn, a member of the regional leadership of the Arab Socialist Baath Party, head of the Preparation, Culture and Information Office, Dr. Mahdi Dakhlallah stressed in his speech the importance of consolidating the noble and patriotic values that the teacher enjoyed and embodying the belonging of the children of Syria to their land, their identity and their steadfastness in defending it, and that Syria is the birth of heroes and brave, indicating that history will add To his memory an honorable record of one of the great men of Syria, noting the distinguished diplomatic role of the teacher who has a solid, flexible, serious, difficult, easy and stubborn figure who understands.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Dr. Faisal Al-Miqdad, said in the ministry's speech: Our country today lacks a national stature characterized by respect, affection and experience, as the teacher was a negotiator, writer, and the owner of an endless brainstorm .. sharp of intelligence and memory, along with his gentleness and his ability to plant a smile on the face of everyone he knew.
Al-Miqdad added: We are walking with confidence, firmness, and support that does not waver from our brothers, friends and all peace-loving countries in the world, and this is what our leader, President Bashar al-Assad, established and implemented, and our deceased, Walid al-Muallem.
For his part, the former Foreign Minister of Lebanon, Adnan Mansour, spoke on behalf of the deceased's friends, saying: “During my close acquaintance with the teacher, I found in him a brother and a man who was unitary and Arab with distinction, defending Syria and the issues of his nation and its rights in all international forums,” pointing to the sophistication, high responsibility, steadfastness and firmness the teacher enjoyed In stances, calmness, refined style, and keenness on the unity of Syria, land and people, as he was able to fail what the plotters attended to Syria and what they had planned for its diplomatic corps. Their hopes were disappointed, which raised the astonishment of the world, and the Syrian diplomacy remained a milestone that speaks in a single national language that expresses a principled position that is not negotiable, recalling previous conversations With the teacher, which confirms the inevitability of Syria's victory, which is derived from the steadfastness of its leader, army and people, and the defeat of aggression from it.
For his part, Vatican Ambassador, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Damascus, Cardinal Mario Zenari, said in a speech during the ceremony: Minister Al-Moallem was a diplomat and a man of government capable of defending the cause of his homeland, especially during the years of war that Syria was exposed to, recalling his position during the Geneva conference on peace talks in 2014 when The chairperson interrupted him because of the allotted time, and the teacher answered him .. I came here from afar to support my country and continued his speech until the end.
Cardinal Zinari added, “The late minister was an example of sincere diplomats for their country, expressing his hope that Syria would regain its important role regionally and internationally and continue the reconstruction process, calling on all the displaced to return to their country and redouble efforts by the international community to help bring peace to Syria through diplomacy and through dialogue.”
In the speech of the family of the deceased delivered by his daughter Shatha al-Muallem, she spoke about the affectionate paternal side of the Minister Al-Moallem who used to seize moments despite his great concerns and responsibilities to follow up on the conditions of his family, adding, “In the difficult times that passed through our country, the smile did not leave his face, for he is the father who planted in us the love of the homeland, humility and literature with others. To be an example in the behavior of private and public life, and Syria occupied the largest space in his heart and conscience, thanking all Syrians and the leadership and government who supported the family with their good feelings.
During the memorial service, a documentary film about the life of the late Muallem, his national positions in international forums, testimonies of colleagues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, and a number of ambassadors working in Damascus were shown.
The ceremony was attended by a number of ministers, scholars, clerics, thought, culture, art, the Syrian and Arab press, and a number of members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Damascus.
Maha Al-Atrash and Imad Al-Daghli