Walid Muallem وليد المعلم |
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Muallem during his meeting with the British Foreign Secretary David Miliband (July 2009)
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Deputy Prime Minister of Syria | |
Assumed office 23 June 2012 |
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Prime Minister |
Riyad Farid Hijab Wael Nader al-Halqi |
Preceded by | Abdullah al-Dardari |
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates | |
Assumed office 14 April 2011 |
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Prime Minister |
Adel Safar Riyad Farid Hijab Wael Nader al-Halqi |
Preceded by | Himself (as Minister of Foreign Affairs) Joseph Sweid (as Minister of Expatriates) |
Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
In office 21 February 2006 – 29 March 2011 |
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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 |
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President | Hafez al-Assad |
Preceded by | Rafic Jouejati |
Succeeded by | Rustum Al-Zubi |
Personal details | |
Born |
Walid Mohi Edine al Muallem January 13, 1941 Damascus, Syria |
Political party | Syrian Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party |
Walid Mohi Edine al Muallem (Arabic: وليد محيي الدين المعلم; born 13 January 1941) is a Syrian diplomat and Ba'ath Party member who has served as Foreign Minister since 21 February 2006.
Walid Muallem was born into a Sunni family on 13 January 1941 in Damascus. He received primary and secondary education in public schools from 1948 to 1960. Then he obtained a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Cairo University in 1963.
Muallem is a member of the Syrian Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party. Muallem began his career at foreign ministry in 1964 and served in Syrian missions to Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Spain and England. He served as Syria's Ambassador to Romania from 1975 to 1980. Next he became the head of authentication and translation department at the foreign ministry in 1980 and his term ended in 1984. Later he served as the head of private offices department from 1984 to 1990. After serving as Syria's ambassador to the United States from 1990 to 2000, Muallem was named as assistant foreign minister in 2000. He was appointed deputy foreign minister in 2005 and given the Lebanese file by president Bashar Assad.
He was appointed as minister of foreign affairs on 11 February 2006 during a cabinet reshuffle in which his predecessor Farouk al-Sharaa became vice-president. Muallem stated in August 2006, "I am ready to be one of Hassan Nasrallahʹs soldiers." He also stated that Syria has a special relationship with Iran. He was involved in Israeli-Syrian negotiations, both before and during his tenure as foreign minister.