President Bashar al-Assad met on Wednesday members of the Higher Council of Local Administration which holds its meetings in Damascus on Wednesday.
The European Union has added recently-appointed Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad to its sanctions blacklist, as Damascus has repeatedly said the Western restrictions come in clear disregard of international law and the UN Charter.
Syria on Saturday lambasted the United States for sanctions it has imposed on Damascus, following a U.N. special rapporteur’s statement that called on Washington to remove unilateral sanctions against the war-torn country.
The Wall Street Journal says a senior White House official took a rare trip to Syria earlier this year to allegedly help release a number of Americans, who are reportedly held by Damascus.
Syria says its air defenses have successfully intercepted a new Israeli aggression above the capital Damascus.