Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem died this morning at the age of 80, the Syrian government announced without specifying the cause of death.
Mualem, Head of Diplomacy since 2006, was in that position when the Syrian conflict broke out in 2011.
As a firm supporter of Bashar al-Assad's government, he was also a mirror of the regime in the world. Muallem was known for his sarcasm and sharp criticism of Western countries, constantly saying that the war ravaging his country was "the result of a foreign religion".
In the summer of 2011, just a few months after the start of the Syrian conflict, Washington imposed sanctions on him, accusing him of repeating the old song about an international conspiracy trying to cover up the horrific actions of the Syrian regime.
He last appeared in public on Thursday and Friday at a conference organized by Syria on the return of millions of refugees who fled the country due to armed conflicts. Physically, he looked weak and two people were helping him into the hall.
This morning, the government "with sadness" announced the news of the death of a "diplomatic veteran" who is known for his "honorable patriotic views", according to a statement carried by the official Sana news agency.
The funeral will take place this afternoon in Damascus, where he was born, the agency said.
Mualem was also the deputy prime minister. He was the ambassador in Washington from 1990 to 1999, according to the Sana news agency.
He had a diplomatic career in Saudi Arabia, Spain and England, and was appointed Syrian ambassador to Romania in 1975. He was married and had three children, the author of four historical works.
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