Syrian President Holds Strategic Meeting with Governors to Address Public Services and Development

By Kardo Roj

DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – In a move aimed at strengthening local governance and service delivery across the country, Syria’s transitional president Ahmad al-Shar‘ convened a high-level meeting Thursday with governors of all Syrian provinces. The session focused on evaluating public service conditions, identifying development challenges, and coordinating strategies for the next phase of Syria’s transitional period.

According to a statement released by the Syrian Presidential Office, the meeting reviewed existing service gaps and emphasized the importance of listening to local communities, enhancing coordination between central and regional administrations, and exploring innovative solutions to longstanding administrative obstacles.

President Shar‘ reportedly urged officials to adopt a more responsive and transparent governance model, stressing the need for a people-centric approach to policymaking in a country still grappling with the aftershocks of a prolonged conflict.

During the discussions, provincial governors presented overviews of key local challenges, ranging from infrastructure deterioration and water shortages to bureaucratic inefficiencies in service provision. The meeting also included deliberations on future development frameworks that prioritize citizen participation and decentralization—two concepts increasingly echoed in Syria’s evolving political discourse.

Sources familiar with the meeting say President Shar‘ encouraged the use of localized planning mechanisms and the expansion of regional authorities’ role in identifying and executing projects. This aligns with broader regional governance trends that have gained traction in areas administered by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), where bottom-up planning and local councils have shown resilience amid national uncertainty.

While the meeting did not delve into specifics regarding inter-governorate cooperation, observers note that enhanced coordination could signal gradual steps toward more structured transitional governance, especially in parts of the country seeking to rebuild both infrastructure and institutional legitimacy.

In a separate engagement the same day, President Shar‘ held talks with Minister of Culture Mohammad Saleh and senior cultural officials to review national cultural policy. Discussions centered on revitalizing Syria’s cultural identity, promoting regional heritage, and positioning Syrian culture within broader regional and international contexts.

The Ministry of Culture reportedly presented several new initiatives designed to bolster cultural programming, including regional festivals, cross-border literary projects, and digital heritage platforms. President Shar‘ emphasized the role of culture in fostering national unity and global outreach, particularly important in a post-conflict landscape where soft power may aid Syria’s reintegration into the international cultural arena.

This meeting follows recent announcements—such as Syria’s reactivation of the Florence Agreement on customs-free book imports—that point to a renewed effort to revive Syria’s cultural and intellectual capital.

President Shar‘’s back-to-back meetings reflect an administration attempting to balance urgent service needs with longer-term structural reforms. As Syria navigates its transitional period, the emphasis on public service improvements, local empowerment, and cultural restoration may be critical to fostering both legitimacy and stability.

Although the country’s political future remains uncertain, and many regions continue to function with autonomous or semi-autonomous governance structures, initiatives like these signal tentative efforts to build consensus and capacity across fragmented lines of authority.

For the international community and domestic actors alike, the trajectory of these reforms will likely influence broader dialogues on Syria’s future governance model—one that must reconcile local realities with national cohesion.

As reconstruction remains a distant goal for many regions, sustained investment in both public services and cultural identity may serve as foundational pillars for a post-conflict Syria trying to emerge from years of institutional and societal breakdown.