Syria’s Permanent Representative to the UN Bashar al-Jaafari congratulated on Thursday  Mr.Antonio Guterres on his election as the next UN Secretary General.

The former Portuguese Prime Minister, 67, expressed his thanks to al-Jaafari and asked him to convey his greetings to Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem.

Guterres will become the new UN Secretary General on 1 January when South Korea’s Ban Ki-moon’s second five-year term ends.

At his first press conference after his official election by the UN General Assembly on Thursday, Guterres said it was time to put aside differences on Syria and be united to fight for establishing peace in it.