Walid Muallem facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Walid Muallem
|
|
|---|---|
|
وليد محيي الدين المعلم
|
|
.jpg)
Muallem in 2009
|
|
| Deputy Prime Minister of Syria | |
| In office 23 June 2012 – 16 November 2020 |
|
| Prime Minister | Riyad Farid Hijab Wael Nader al-Halqi Imad Khamis Hussein Arnous |
| Preceded by | Abdullah al-Dardari |
| Succeeded by | Ali Abdullah Ayyoub |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates | |
| In office 14 April 2011 – 16 November 2020 |
|
| Prime Minister | Adel Safar Riyad Farid Hijab Wael Nader al-Halqi Imad Khamis Hussein Arnous |
| Preceded by | Himself (as Minister of Foreign Affairs) Joseph Sweid (as Minister of Expatriates) |
| Succeeded by | Faisal Mekdad |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 21 February 2006 – 29 March 2011 |
|
| Prime Minister | Muhammad Naji al-Otari |
| Preceded by | Farouk al-Sharaa |
| Succeeded by | Himself (as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates) |
| Ambassador of Syria to the United States | |
| In office 1 January 1990 – 31 December 2000 |
|
| President | Hafez al-Assad Abdul Halim Khaddam (Acting) Bashar al-Assad |
| Preceded by | Rafic Jouejati |
| Succeeded by | Rustum Al-Zubi |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Walid Mohi Edine al Muallem
13 January 1941 Damascus, Syria |
| Died | 16 November 2020 (aged 79) Damascus, Syria |
| Political party | Syrian Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party |
| Other political affiliations |
National Progressive Front |
| Spouse | Sawsan Khayat |
| Children | 3 |
Walid Mohi Edine al Muallem (Arabic: وليد محيي الدين المعلم Walīd Muḥīyy ad-Dīn al-Muʿallam) was an important Syrian politician and diplomat. He was born on January 13, 1941, and passed away on November 16, 2020. He served as Syria's foreign minister from 2006 to 2020. He was also the deputy prime minister from 2012 until his death.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Walid Muallem was born in Damascus, Syria, on January 13, 1941. His family followed the Sunni faith. He went to public schools for his primary and secondary education between 1948 and 1960. Later, he studied economics at Cairo University in Egypt, earning a bachelor's degree in 1963.
Career as a Diplomat
Muallem was a member of the Ba'ath Party in Syria. He started working at the foreign ministry in 1964. During his career, he worked in Syrian diplomatic offices in several countries. These included Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
While working in Saudi Arabia, Muallem was a political attache. This means he helped with political matters. In 1967, he and another Syrian diplomat were asked to leave Saudi Arabia.
He served as Syria's Ambassador to Romania from 1975 to 1980. After that, he held different leadership roles within the foreign ministry in Damascus. From 1990 to 2000, he was Syria's Ambassador to the United States. In 2000, he became an assistant foreign minister. By 2005, he was promoted to deputy foreign minister.
Becoming Foreign Minister
On February 11, 2006, Walid Muallem became the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This role meant he was in charge of Syria's relationships with other countries. He took over from Farouk al-Sharaa, who became vice-president. Muallem often spoke about Syria's relationships with countries like Iran.
He was also involved in talks between Syria and Israel before and during his time as foreign minister. These talks aimed to solve disagreements between the two countries.
Role During the Syrian Civil War
When the Syrian Civil War began, Muallem often spoke to the media. He explained Syria's views on the conflict.
In 2012, he gave an interview where he said that some countries were supporting groups fighting in Syria. He also said that the United States was a major player against Syria. He believed that other countries like Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia were causing much of the violence.
Later that year, Muallem spoke at the United Nations. He blamed the United States, France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar for "aiding terror" and interfering in Syria's affairs. He said they were giving weapons and money to rebel groups. He also called concerns about chemical weapons a "joke." He rejected calls for a ceasefire unless other governments stopped supporting armed groups.
In 2013, Muallem stated that "terrorists from more than 83 countries" were fighting in Syria. He compared the war to the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. He also said that international peace talks were important but could not succeed if other countries kept helping the rebels.
In January 2014, Muallem attended a peace conference in Montreux, Switzerland. He spoke for a long time, accusing several countries of supporting terrorism and trying to make Syria unstable.
In 2016, when Saudi Arabia considered sending troops to Syria, Muallem warned that any foreign soldiers entering Syria without permission would "return home in wooden coffins."
After an air raid in September 2016 that killed Syrian soldiers, Muallem said that Syria held the United States fully responsible. He believed it was an intentional attack.
From 2012 until his death, Walid Muallem was on a list of people facing EU sanctions. This was because the EU believed he shared responsibility for how the Syrian government dealt with its people.
Personal Life and Death
Walid Muallem was married to Sawsan Khayat. They had three children: Tarek, Shatha, and Khaled.
He passed away on November 16, 2020, in Damascus, at the age of 79. The exact reason for his death was not shared, but he had been dealing with heart problems for many years. He was buried in Mezzeh Cemetery in Damascus.
See also
- Foreign relations of Syria
- List of foreign ministers in 2017
- List of current foreign ministers
