Walid al Muallem (born 13 January 1941) is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates for Syria

Syria

Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

, and a long-time diplomat for that country.

Early life, education and career

Muallem is a former Ambassador of Syria to the United States

Ambassador of Syria to the United States

The Ambassador from Syria to the United States is Syria's foremost diplomatic representative in the United States, and in charge of Syria's diplomatic mission in the US.-Ambassadors to the US:*March 19, 1945–1947: Nazim al-Kudsi...

 and at the time of his appointment as foreign minister

Foreign minister

A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...

 was serving as deputy foreign minister. He took office as foreign minister on 11 February 2006 during a cabinet reshuffle in which his predecessor Farouk al-Sharaa

Farouk al-Sharaa

Farouk al-Sharaa , also known as Farouq al-Sharaa is a Syrian politician and diplomat. He is one of the most prominent officials in the Syrian government and served as foreign minister of Syria from 1984 until 2006 when he became Vice President of Syria. Sharaa still holds the...

 became vice-president. He has been very involved in Israeli-Syrian negotiations, both before and during his tenure as foreign minister. He currently resides in Damascus

Damascus

Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...

. In August 2011, the US sanctioned Muallem together with other Syrian officials in response to Syria's crackdown against anti-government protesters.

External links

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs official government website
• Ministry of Expatriates official government website
• Profile at Arab Decision
• "Fresh Light on the Syrian-Israeli Peace Negotiations", Journal of Palestine Studies
  Journal of Palestine Studies
  The Journal of Palestine Studies is an academic journal established in 1971. It is published and distributed by University of California Press on behalf of the Institute for Palestine Studies. The current editor is Rashid Khalidi of Columbia University....
  
  , vol. 26, no. 2, Winter 1997, interview
• Statement to the 61st General Assembly, United Nations
  United Nations
  The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
  
  , 26 September 2006
• "Interview: Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem", Foreign Policy
  Foreign Policy
  Foreign Policy is a bimonthly American magazine founded in 1970 by Samuel P. Huntington and Warren Demian Manshel.Originally, the magazine was a quarterly...
  
  , 10 June 2009