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			{{Short description\|Syrian politician and diplomat (born 1938)}}
	{{Infobox Vice President
			{{Infobox officeholder
	\| name = Farouk al-Sharaa<br>فاروق الشرع
			\| honorific-prefix = ]
	\| image = Farouk Shara.jpg
			\| name = Farouk al-Sharaa
	\| caption =
			\| native_name = {{Script/Arabic\|فاروق الشرع}}
	\| birth_date = {{birth date and age\|1938\|12\|10\|df=y}}
			\| native_name_lang = ar
	\| birth_place = ], ]
			\| image = Farouk Shara.jpg
	\| office = ]
			\| caption = Sharaa in 2004
	\| term_start = 21 February 2006
			\| birth_date = {{birth date and age\|1938\|12\|10\|df=y}}
	\| term_end =
			\| birth_place = ], ]
	\| president = ]
			\| alma_mater = ]<br />]
	\| religion = ]<ref>{{cite news\|title=Syrian government denies defection of vice-president Farouq al-Sharaa \|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9485175/Syrian-government-denies-defection-of-vice-president-Farouq-al-Sharaa.html \|newspaper=] \|date=18 August 2012 \|accessdate=18 September 2012}}</ref>
	\|~~predecessor~~ = ]		\| office = ]
	\|~~successor~~ =		\| alongside = ]
			\| term_start = 21 February 2006
	\| office2 = ]
			\| term_end = 19 July 2014<ref name="SyVp1">{{Cite web\|url=https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2014/07/20/Syria-s-Assad-reappoints-woman-VP-but-mum-on-Sharaa\|title = Syria's Assad reappoints woman VP but mum on Sharaa\|publisher=Al Arabiya\|date=20 July 2014\|access-date=14 July 2024}}</ref>
	\| president2 = ]<br>]
			\| president = ]
	\| term_start2 = March 1984
			\| predecessor = ]<br />]
	\| term_end2 = 21 February 2006
	\|~~predecessor2~~ = ]		\| successor = Najah al-Attar
			\| office2 = ]
	\|successor2 = ]
	\|~~party~~ = ]		\| president2 = ]<br />]
			\| term_start2 = 1 March 1984
	\|otherparty = ]
			\| term_end2 = 21 February 2006
			\| predecessor2 = ]
			\| successor2 = ]
			\| office3 = Member of the ] of the ]
			\| term_start3 = 21 June 2000
			\| term_end3 = 8 July 2013
			\| party = ]
			\| otherparty = ]
	}}		}}
	{{Politics of Syria}}		{{Politics of Syria}}
	'''Farouk al-Sharaa''' ({{~~lang-~~ar\|فاروق الشرع}}; born 10 December 1938) is a ] politician and diplomat. He is one of the most prominent officials in the ] and served as ] of Syria from 1984 until 2006 when he became ].<ref>{{cite news\|url=~~http~~://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/28/world/middleeast/28syria.html?partner=rss&emc=rss\|title=Syria Tries to Ease Deep Political Crisis\|last=Slackman\|first=Michael\|date=28 March 2011\|work=The New York Times\|~~accessdate~~=28 March 2011}}</ref>		'''Farouk al-Sharaa'''{{efn\|{{langx\|ar\|فاروق الشرع}}}} (born 10 December 1938) is a Syrian politician and diplomat. He was one of the most prominent officials in the ] and served as ] of Syria from 1984 until 2006 when he became a ].<ref>{{cite news\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/28/world/middleeast/28syria.html?partner=rss&emc=rss\|title=Syria Tries to Ease Deep Political Crisis\|last=Slackman\|first=Michael\|date=28 March 2011\|work=The New York Times\|access-date=28 March 2011}}</ref> His term as vice president ended on 19 July 2014.<ref name="SyVp1"></ref>

	==Early life and education==		==Early life and education==
	Sharaa was born in ~~Damascus~~ to a ]<ref name=eu>{{cite web\|title=List of persons and entities referred to in articles 3 and 4\|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:164:0020:0021:EN:PDF\|publisher=Official Journal of the European Union\|~~accessdate~~=19 July 2012\|date=24 June 2011}}</ref><ref name=ttofi1112/> family that originates from the ].<ref name=crs9711>{{cite web\|~~last=Sharp\|first~~=~~Jeremy M~~.\|title=Unrest in Syria and U.S. Sanctions Against the Asad Regime\|~~url~~=~~http://fpc~~.~~state.gov/documents/organization/171370.pdf~~\|publisher=Congressional Research Service~~\|accessdate=21 July 2012~~\|format=CRS Report for Congress\|date=9 ~~August~~ ~~2011~~}}</ref> ~~Al-Sharaa~~ studied ] at the ] in the 1960s ~~and~~ in 1972 he took courses in ] at the ]~~, also he soon earned a Bachelor of Arts degree~~.<ref name=Kechichian>{{cite news\|title=Farouk Al ~~Shara’a~~: Affable yet wily diplomat \|url=http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/farouk-al-shara-a-affable-yet-wily-diplomat-1.1065417 \|last=Kechichian \|first=Joseph \|newspaper=] \|date=25 August 2012 \|~~accessdate~~=26 August 2012}}</ref>		Sharaa was born in ]<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://www.dohainstitute.org/en/News/Pages/Farouk_Al_Sharaa_Speaks_an_English_Preface_to_the_Memoirs_by_Farouk_Al_Sharaa_Now_Available.aspx\|title=Farouk Al Sharaa Speaks: an English Preface to the Memoirs by Farouk Al Sharaa Now Available\|date=27 January 2015\|website=www.dohainstitute.org\|language=en-US\|access-date=2019-04-30}}</ref> on 10 December 1938 to a ]<ref name=eu>{{cite web\|title=List of persons and entities referred to in articles 3 and 4\|url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:164:0020:0021:EN:PDF\|publisher=Official Journal of the European Union\|access-date=19 July 2012\|date=24 June 2011}}</ref><ref name=ttofi1112/> family that originates from the ].<ref name="crs9711">{{cite web\|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/4edc93042.html\|title=Unrest in Syria and U.S. Sanctions Against the Asad Regime\|last=Sharp\|first=Jeremy M.\|date=9 November 2011\|website=refworld\|publisher=Congressional Research Service\|format=CRS Report for Congress\|access-date=30 April 2019}}</ref> He studied ] at the ] in the 1960s, earning a ] degree in ] in 1963. In 1971 and 1972 he took courses in ] at the ].<ref name=Kechichian>{{cite news\|title=Farouk Al Shara'a: Affable yet wily diplomat\|url=http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/farouk-al-shara-a-affable-yet-wily-diplomat-1.1065417\|last=Kechichian\|first=Joseph\|newspaper=]\|date=25 August 2012\|access-date=26 August 2012}}</ref>

	==Early career==		==Early career (1963–1989)==
			] in the middle between Nizar Daoudi and Farouk al-Sharaa, in Tehran condoling the death of ], 1989.\|thumb]]
	Between 1976 and 1980, al-Sharaa served as Syria's diplomat in Italy, and in 1980 he was named deputy foreign minister. In 1984 al-Sharaa was apponited acting minister of informations. In March 1984, ], at the time president of Syria, named him foreign minister, a position that he will hold until February 2006.<ref name=Kechichian/>
			In 1963, Sharaa became a member of the ]’s central committee.<ref name=alarab9july/> He served as regional manager of the state-run ] in ] from 1968 to 1972 and as commercial director in Damascus from 1972 to 1976.<ref name="alarab9july" /> Between 1977 and 1980, he served as Syria's ambassador to ].<ref name=alarab9july/> In 1980, he was named deputy foreign minister. In 1984, Sharaa was appointed as acting minister of information. In March 1984, ], then president of Syria, named him ].

	==Old guard of the Assad government==		==Old guard of the Assad government (1990–2000)==
			] in ] in 1993.]]
	Sharaa has remained an old guard of the Assad administration. He has been very active in negotiating with many countries to gain better relations for Syria. Much of this negotiation has involved Syria's relationships with ] and ]. Sharaa maintains that Israel should give back all the territory it took from Syria in the 1967 war. He was involved in two attempts to negotiate a reconciliation with Israel in 1991 and 2000.

			Sharaa has remained an old guard of the Assad administration. He has been very active in negotiating with many countries to gain better relations for Syria. Much of this negotiation has involved Syria's relationships with ] and ]. Sharaa maintains that Israel should give back all of the ], the territory it took from Syria in the ]. Between 1991 and 1993 he led negotiations in the ] and with the US Presidents ] and ].<ref>{{Cite web\|url=https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2531781/will-syrian-israeli-negotiations-resume\|title=Will the Syrian-Israeli Negotiations Resume?\|publisher=Asharq Al-Awsat\|access-date=11 July 2024\|date=27 September 2020}}</ref>
	==Political career==
	Since Hafez Assad's death in 2000, his son ] reshuffled his cabinet several times to remove several long-time members. Sharaa, however, remained in office, and became one of the longest-serving foreign ministers in the world. It was believed that Sharaa might be forced to resign when, in October 2005, he was accused of misleading the international investigators in letters about the investigation of possible Syrian involvement in the murder of former Lebanese prime minister ]. However, since 2009, the accusation of Sharaa seems to be false as the credibility of the UN Independent International Investigation Commission has become in doubt, specifically after the release of the four Lebanese high-ranking pro-Syrian officers who were previously accused of being involved in the assassination. Along with President Bashar al-Assad, Sharaa was interviewed in April 2006 in the course of a UN investigation into the death in February 2005 of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

			He was involved in two attempts to negotiate a reconciliation with Israel in December 1999, when he held a meeting with ] and Bill Clinton in ], with the goal of resuming Israeli–Syrian peace negotiations that were stalled since early 1996.<ref>{{cite web \| url=https://ecf.org.il/issues/issue/210 \| title=Washington Talks (December 1999) }}</ref> The peace talks summit continued until January 2000 in ], but never materialized.<ref>{{cite web \|url=http://telaviv.usembassy.gov/publish/peace/archives/2000/january/me0103c.html \|title=Israel and Syria Open Peace Talks in Shepherdstown, West Virginia \|first=William B. \|last=Reinckens \|date=January 3, 2000 \|work=Washington File \|publisher=] \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041107131643/http://telaviv.usembassy.gov/publish/peace/archives/2000/january/me0103c.html \|archive-date=November 7, 2004 \|access-date=April 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web\|last=Kilian\|first=Michael\|title=MOMENTOUS TALKS IN A QUIET TOWN\|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2000-01-03-0001030081-story.html\|access-date=March 26, 2021\|website=chicagotribune.com\|date=3 January 2000 \|language=en-US}}</ref>
	He finally did leave his post as foreign minister on 11 February 2006, when he became vice-president of Syria. This position had been vacant for months, since the departure of ]. Some saw his appointment as vice-president as a demotion, since he was expected to have less of a public role in Syrian politics and to lose contact with many diplomats and world leaders. The vice-president in Syria is generally a ceremonial role. However, others believed that Sharaa would now have a greater role in decision-making, since he would be in Syria more often. In the event, Sharaa engaged in high-profile foreign travel as Vice President, indicating that his role is envisaged as an active one on the international scene. Sharaa will also become the acting president of Syria if President Assad resigns or dies while Sharaa is still vice-president.<ref>{{cite news\|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/18/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html\|title=Rebels say Syrian vice president defects, regime denies claim\|publisher=CNN\|date=18 August 2012\|accessdate=26 August 2012}}</ref>

			==Under Bashar al-Assad (2000-2011)==
	Sharaa met with ] in September 2007 to discuss the plight of Iraqi Christian refugees in Syria, the Mideast peace processes, and the role and status of the Church in Syria. Sharaa is Chairman of the “national dialogue” committee in Syria.<ref name=cg11>{{cite web\|title=Popular Protest in North Africa and the Middle East (VII): The Syrian Regime’s Slow-Motion Suicide\|url=http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/Middle%20East%20North%20Africa/Iraq%20Syria%20Lebanon/Syria/109%20Popular%20Protest%20in%20North%20Africa%20and%20the%20Middle%20East%20VII%20--%20The%20Syrian%20Regimes%20Slow-motion%20Suicide.pdf\|publisher=Crisis Group\|accessdate=21 July 2012\|format=Report (No: 109)\|date=13 July 2011}}</ref>
			] in ] in 2001.]]

			After ]'s death in June 2000, his son ] reshuffled his cabinet several times to remove several long-time members. Sharaa, however, remained in office, and became one of the longest-serving foreign ministers in the world. It was believed that Sharaa might be forced to resign when, in October 2005, he was accused of misleading international investigators in letters about the investigation of possible Syrian involvement in the ] of former Lebanese prime minister ]. Along with President Bashar al-Assad, Sharaa was interviewed in April 2006 during the course of a UN investigation into the death in February 2005 of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
	==Reports of escape==
	Following his absence at a high-level meeting in July 2012, Sharaa was rumored to either be under house-arrest, or to have fled to Jordan.<ref name=ttofi1112>{{cite news\|title=Syrian vice president’s absence raises questions of his whereabouts\|url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/topic/farouk-al-sharaa/\|accessdate=21 July 2012\|newspaper=The Times of Israel\|date=11 July 2012}}</ref> These reports came amidst a wave of Fugitives from the Assad government after an increase in violence in the ]. However, these reports were proven to be false, since Sharaa represented Bashar al-Assad at the funerals of three senior officials ] in Damascus.<ref name=ctreu>{{cite news\|title=Funeral held for Syria officials killed in bombing\|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-rt-syria-crisisfuneral-update-2-tvl6e8ikfg9-20120720,0,6973157.story\|accessdate=21 July 2012\|newspaper=Chicago Tribune\|date=20 July 2012\|agency=Reuters}}</ref>

			He finally did leave his post as foreign minister on 11 February 2006, when he became vice president of Syria in charge of foreign affairs.<ref name=Kechichian/> This position had been vacant for a year since the departure of ]. Some saw his appointment as vice president as a demotion, since he was expected to have less of a public role in Syrian politics and to lose contact with many diplomats and world leaders. The vice president in Syria is generally a ceremonial role. However, others believed that Sharaa would now have a greater role in decision-making, since he would be in Syria more often. In the event, Sharaa engaged in high-profile foreign travel as vice president, indicating that his role is envisaged as an active one on the international scene. He will also become the acting president of Syria if President Assad resigns or dies while Sharaa is still vice president.<ref>{{cite news\|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/18/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html\|title=Rebels say Syrian vice president defects, regime denies claim\|publisher=CNN\|date=18 August 2012\|access-date=26 August 2012}}</ref>
	In mid-August the spokesperson of the ] announced that al-Sharaa had flee to Jordan.<ref name=faroukdefect>{{cite news\|title=Rebel spokesman: Syrian vice president defects; regime doesn't confirm\| url=http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/18/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html\|newspaper=CNN\|date=18 August 2012\|accessdate=18 August 2012}}</ref> A spokesman for al-Sharaa denied this report to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).<ref>{{cite news\|title=Vice-President Shara Denies Rumors that He Left Home\|url=http://sana.sy/eng/21/2012/08/18/437007.htm \|publisher=]\|date=18 August 2012\|accessdate=18 August 2012}}</ref> On 26 August 2012, al-Sharaa appeared in public in Syria, for the second time disproving false reports that he had fled and left to Jordan.<ref name="26Aug2012">{{cite news\|url=http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2012/08/26/syrische-vicepresident-toont-weer-zich-na-weken-afwezigheid-en-is-dus-niet-overgelopen/\|title=Syrische vicepresident toont zich weer (en is dus niet overgelopen)\|work=NRC Handelsblad\|language=Dutch\|date=26 August 2012\|accessdate=26 August 2012}}</ref>

			Sharaa met with ] in September 2007 to discuss the plight of Iraqi Christian refugees in Syria, the Mideast peace processes, and the role and status of the Church in Syria. After 2011, Sharaa was the chairman of the "national dialogue" committee in Syria.<ref name=cg11>{{cite web\|title=Popular Protest in North Africa and the Middle East (VII): The Syrian Regime's Slow-Motion Suicide\|url=http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/Middle%20East%20North%20Africa/Iraq%20Syria%20Lebanon/Syria/109%20Popular%20Protest%20in%20North%20Africa%20and%20the%20Middle%20East%20VII%20--%20The%20Syrian%20Regimes%20Slow-motion%20Suicide.pdf\|publisher=Crisis Group\|access-date=21 July 2012\|format=Report (No: 109)\|date=13 July 2011\|url-status=dead\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725095930/http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/Middle%20East%20North%20Africa/Iraq%20Syria%20Lebanon/Syria/109%20Popular%20Protest%20in%20North%20Africa%20and%20the%20Middle%20East%20VII%20--%20The%20Syrian%20Regimes%20Slow-motion%20Suicide.pdf\|archive-date=25 July 2011}}</ref> In 2000 Sharaa was also appointed to the Ba'ath party’s leadership and his term ended in July 2013.<ref name=alarab9july>{{cite news\|title=Farouk al-Sharaa, Syrian leader who wanted compromise\|url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/profiles/2013/07/09/Farouk-al-Sharaa-Syrian-leader-who-wanted-compromise-.html\|access-date=29 July 2013\|publisher=Al Arabiya\|date=9 July 2013\|agency=AFP\|location=Beirut}}</ref> On 19 July 2014, his term in the Vice President office ended.<ref name="SyVp1"/> After that, he disappeared from sight for a long period, whether politically or on a personal level, with the emergence of rumors of his defection, only to return and appear in October 2018 with the Syrian poet residing in ] Hadi Daniel.{{citation needed\|date=July 2024}}

			==Syrian civil war (2011-2024)==
			After the outbreak of the ] in 2011, Sharaa was seen as a possible replacement for Assad during a transitional period. UN–Arab League Joint Special Representative for Syria ]'s transition plan included Sharaa as a transitional president until elections were held.<ref name=ttofi1112 />

			Sharaa's absence from a July 2012 meeting between Bashar al-Assad and Annan led to reports he was under house arrest or had fled to Jordan.<ref name=ttofi1112>{{cite news\|title=Syrian vice president's absence raises questions of his whereabouts\|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/syrias-deputy-president-vanished/\|access-date=21 July 2012\|newspaper=]\|date=11 July 2012}}</ref><ref name=faroukdefect>{{cite news\|title=Rebel spokesman: Syrian vice president defects; regime doesn't confirm\| url=http://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/18/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html\|work=CNN\|date=18 August 2012\|access-date=18 August 2012}}</ref> However, Sharaa represented Bashar al-Assad at the funerals of three senior officials ] in Damascus.<ref name=ctreu>{{cite news\|title=Funeral held for Syria officials killed in bombing\|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-rt-syria-crisisfuneral-update-2-tvl6e8ikfg9-20120720,0,6973157.story\|access-date=21 July 2012\|newspaper=Chicago Tribune\|date=20 July 2012\|agency=Reuters\|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20171009220703/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-07-20/business/sns-rt-syria-crisisfuneral-update-2-tvl6e8ikfg9-20120720_1_minister-daoud-rajha-dominic-evans-bomb-attack\|archive-date=9 October 2017\|url-status=dead}}</ref>

			== After the fall of the Assad regime ==
			Following the ] in December 2024 and the establishment of the ] led by ] and the ], Farouk al-Sharaa was invited by Ahmed al-Sharaa to attend a forthcoming national dialogue conference in Damascus.<ref>{{Cite web \|last=Sh \|date=2024-12-23 \|title=Farouk al-Sharaa Returns to the Forefront of Syrian Politics After He Was Sidelined at the Start of the Revolution - The Syrian Observer \|url=https://syrianobserver.com/syrian-actors/farouk-al-sharaa-returns-to-the-forefront-of-syrian-politics-after-he-was-sidelined-at-the-start-of-the-revolution.html \|access-date=2024-12-26 \|language=en-US}}</ref> According to his cousin, Farouk accepted the invitation.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=عودة بعد غياب طويل.. من هو فاروق الشرع؟ \|url=https://www.skynewsarabia.com/middle-east/1764016-%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%B1%D8%B9-%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%94%D8%AE%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%AF-%D8%AB%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%94%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%87 \|access-date=2024-12-26 \|website=سكاي نيوز عربية \|language=ar}}</ref>

			==Personal life==
			Sharaa is married and has two children.<ref name=alarab9july/> He is the first cousin of ], whose son ] is the emir of ] and de-facto leader of Syria as of December 2024.<ref>{{Cite web \|title=صديق طفولة الجولاني يروي ما يعرفه عنه.\|url=https://www.wattan.net/ar/news/182427.html}}</ref>

			==Notes==
			{{notelist}}
	==References==		==References==
	{{Reflist\|colwidth=33em}}		{{Reflist\|colwidth=33em}}

			==External links==
			{{Commons category}}
			*{{C-SPAN\|3973}}

	{{s-start}}		{{s-start}}
	{{s-off}}		{{s-off}}
	{{s-bef\|before=]}}		{{s-bef\|before=]}}
	{{s-ttl\|title=]\|years=1984-2006}}		{{s-ttl\|title=]\|years=1984–2006}}
	{{s-aft\|after=]}}		{{s-aft\|after=]}}
	{{s-bef\|before=]}}		{{s-bef\|before=]}}
	{{s-ttl\|title=]\|years=2006~~-present~~}}		{{s-ttl\|title=]\|years=2006–2014}}
	{{s-aft\|after=~~(incumbent)~~}}		{{s-aft\|after=]}}
	{{s-end}}		{{s-end}}
			{{Deputy Prime Ministers of Syria}}
	{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. -->
			{{Ba'ath Party}}
	\| NAME =Al Sharaa, Farouk
			{{Authority control}}
	\| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =

	\| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
			{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharaa, Farouk Al-}}
	\| DATE OF BIRTH =10 December 1938
	\| PLACE OF BIRTH =], ]
	\| DATE OF DEATH =
	\| PLACE OF DEATH =
	}}
	{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharaa}}
	]		]
	]		]
	]		]
	]		]
	]		]
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	]		]
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Latest revision as of 01:30, 7 January 2025

Syrian politician and diplomat (born 1938)

His ExcellencyFarouk al-Sharaa
فاروق الشرع‎
Sharaa in 2004

Vice President of Syria
In office 21 February 2006 – 19 July 2014Serving with Najah al-Attar
President	Bashar al-Assad
Preceded by	Zuhair Masharqa Abdul Halim Khaddam
Succeeded by	Najah al-Attar
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 1 March 1984 – 21 February 2006
President	Hafez al-Assad Bashar al-Assad
Preceded by	Abdul-Halim Khaddam
Succeeded by	Walid Muallem
Member of the Central Command of the Ba'ath Party
In office 21 June 2000 – 8 July 2013

Personal details
Born	(1938-12-10) 10 December 1938 (age 86) Daraa, Syrian Republic
Political party	Ba'ath Party
Other political affiliations	National Progressive Front
Alma mater	University of London University of Damascus

Politics of Syria


Member State of the Arab League
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Executive President (list) Vacant Vice President Vacant Prime Minister (list) Mohammed al-Bashir Deputy Prime Minister Vacant
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v t e

Farouk al-Sharaa (born 10 December 1938) is a Syrian politician and diplomat. He was one of the most prominent officials in the Syrian government and served as foreign minister of Syria from 1984 until 2006 when he became a vice president of Syria. His term as vice president ended on 19 July 2014.

Early life and education

Sharaa was born in Daraa on 10 December 1938 to a Sunni Muslim family that originates from the Daraa Governorate. He studied English language at the University of Damascus in the 1960s, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature in 1963. In 1971 and 1972 he took courses in international law at the University of London.

Early career (1963–1989)

In 1963, Sharaa became a member of the Ba'ath Party’s central committee. He served as regional manager of the state-run Syrian Arab Airlines in London from 1968 to 1972 and as commercial director in Damascus from 1972 to 1976. Between 1977 and 1980, he served as Syria's ambassador to Italy. In 1980, he was named deputy foreign minister. In 1984, Sharaa was appointed as acting minister of information. In March 1984, Hafez al-Assad, then president of Syria, named him Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Old guard of the Assad government (1990–2000)

Sharaa has remained an old guard of the Assad administration. He has been very active in negotiating with many countries to gain better relations for Syria. Much of this negotiation has involved Syria's relationships with Lebanon and Israel. Sharaa maintains that Israel should give back all of the Golan Heights, the territory it took from Syria in the 1967 War. Between 1991 and 1993 he led negotiations in the Barcelona Process and with the US Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

He was involved in two attempts to negotiate a reconciliation with Israel in December 1999, when he held a meeting with Ehud Barak and Bill Clinton in White House, with the goal of resuming Israeli–Syrian peace negotiations that were stalled since early 1996. The peace talks summit continued until January 2000 in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, but never materialized.

Under Bashar al-Assad (2000-2011)

After Hafez al-Assad's death in June 2000, his son Bashar al-Assad reshuffled his cabinet several times to remove several long-time members. Sharaa, however, remained in office, and became one of the longest-serving foreign ministers in the world. It was believed that Sharaa might be forced to resign when, in October 2005, he was accused of misleading international investigators in letters about the investigation of possible Syrian involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri. Along with President Bashar al-Assad, Sharaa was interviewed in April 2006 during the course of a UN investigation into the death in February 2005 of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

He finally did leave his post as foreign minister on 11 February 2006, when he became vice president of Syria in charge of foreign affairs. This position had been vacant for a year since the departure of Abdul Halim Khaddam. Some saw his appointment as vice president as a demotion, since he was expected to have less of a public role in Syrian politics and to lose contact with many diplomats and world leaders. The vice president in Syria is generally a ceremonial role. However, others believed that Sharaa would now have a greater role in decision-making, since he would be in Syria more often. In the event, Sharaa engaged in high-profile foreign travel as vice president, indicating that his role is envisaged as an active one on the international scene. He will also become the acting president of Syria if President Assad resigns or dies while Sharaa is still vice president.

Sharaa met with Pope Benedict XVI in September 2007 to discuss the plight of Iraqi Christian refugees in Syria, the Mideast peace processes, and the role and status of the Church in Syria. After 2011, Sharaa was the chairman of the "national dialogue" committee in Syria. In 2000 Sharaa was also appointed to the Ba'ath party’s leadership and his term ended in July 2013. On 19 July 2014, his term in the Vice President office ended. After that, he disappeared from sight for a long period, whether politically or on a personal level, with the emergence of rumors of his defection, only to return and appear in October 2018 with the Syrian poet residing in Tunisia Hadi Daniel.

Syrian civil war (2011-2024)

After the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011, Sharaa was seen as a possible replacement for Assad during a transitional period. UN–Arab League Joint Special Representative for Syria Kofi Annan's transition plan included Sharaa as a transitional president until elections were held.

Sharaa's absence from a July 2012 meeting between Bashar al-Assad and Annan led to reports he was under house arrest or had fled to Jordan. However, Sharaa represented Bashar al-Assad at the funerals of three senior officials assassinated on 18 July 2012 in Damascus.

After the fall of the Assad regime

Following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 and the establishment of the Syrian transitional government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa and the Tahrir al-Sham, Farouk al-Sharaa was invited by Ahmed al-Sharaa to attend a forthcoming national dialogue conference in Damascus. According to his cousin, Farouk accepted the invitation.

Personal life

Sharaa is married and has two children. He is the first cousin of Hussein al-Sharaa, whose son Ahmed al-Sharaa is the emir of Tahrir Al-Sham and de-facto leader of Syria as of December 2024.

Notes

Arabic: فاروق الشرع

References

^ "Syria's Assad reappoints woman VP but mum on Sharaa". Al Arabiya. 20 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
Slackman, Michael (28 March 2011). "Syria Tries to Ease Deep Political Crisis". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
"Farouk Al Sharaa Speaks: an English Preface to the Memoirs by Farouk Al Sharaa Now Available". www.dohainstitute.org. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
"List of persons and entities referred to in articles 3 and 4". Official Journal of the European Union. 24 June 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
^ "Syrian vice president's absence raises questions of his whereabouts". The Times of Israel. 11 July 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
Sharp, Jeremy M. (9 November 2011). "Unrest in Syria and U.S. Sanctions Against the Asad Regime" (CRS Report for Congress). refworld. Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
^ Kechichian, Joseph (25 August 2012). "Farouk Al Shara'a: Affable yet wily diplomat". Gulf News. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
^ "Farouk al-Sharaa, Syrian leader who wanted compromise". Beirut: Al Arabiya. AFP. 9 July 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
"Will the Syrian-Israeli Negotiations Resume?". Asharq Al-Awsat. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
"Washington Talks (December 1999)".
Reinckens, William B. (January 3, 2000). "Israel and Syria Open Peace Talks in Shepherdstown, West Virginia". Washington File. United States Department of State. Archived from the original on November 7, 2004. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
Kilian, Michael (3 January 2000). "MOMENTOUS TALKS IN A QUIET TOWN". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
"Rebels say Syrian vice president defects, regime denies claim". CNN. 18 August 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
"Popular Protest in North Africa and the Middle East (VII): The Syrian Regime's Slow-Motion Suicide" (PDF). Crisis Group. 13 July 2011. Archived from the original (Report (No: 109)) on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
"Rebel spokesman: Syrian vice president defects; regime doesn't confirm". CNN. 18 August 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
"Funeral held for Syria officials killed in bombing". Chicago Tribune. Reuters. 20 July 2012. Archived from the original on 9 October 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
Sh (2024-12-23). "Farouk al-Sharaa Returns to the Forefront of Syrian Politics After He Was Sidelined at the Start of the Revolution - The Syrian Observer". Retrieved 2024-12-26.
"عودة بعد غياب طويل.. من هو فاروق الشرع؟". سكاي نيوز عربية (in Arabic). Retrieved 2024-12-26.
"صديق طفولة الجولاني يروي ما يعرفه عنه".

External links

Appearances on C-SPAN

Political offices
Preceded byAbdul Halim Khaddam	Minister of Foreign Affairs 1984–2006	Succeeded byWalid Muallem
Preceded byAbdul Halim Khaddam	First Vice President of Syria 2006–2014	Succeeded byNajah al-Attar

v t e Deputy prime ministers of Syria
Lutfi al-Haffar Rashad Barmada Bashir al-Azma Abdul Halim Khaddam Mustafa Tlass Muhammad Naji al-Otari Farouk al-Sharaa Salim Yasin Abd al-Qadir Qaddura Khalid Raad Mohammad al-Hussein Abdullah Dardari Walid Muallem Ali Abdullah Ayyoub

Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party

Iraqi-dominated faction
Syrian-dominated faction

History

Predecessors	Arab Ba'ath Arab Ba'ath Movement Arab Socialist Movement Syrian Committee to Help Iraq
Founders	Michel Aflaq Salah al-Din al-Bitar
Pre-split	1954 Syrian coup d'état 14 July Revolution 1959 Mosul uprising Attempted assassination of Abdul-Karim Qasim Ramadan Revolution 1963 Syrian coup d'état Ba'athist Syria Politics National Council for the Revolutionary Command Ar-Rashid revolt November 1963 Iraqi coup d'état 1964 Hama riot 1966 Syrian coup d'état
Post-split	17 July Revolution Ba'athist Iraq Revolutionary Command Council Members Arab Belt Corrective Movement Union of Arab Republics Ba'athist Arabization campaigns in northern Iraq 1979 Ba'ath Party Purge Assadist–Saddamist conflict Faith Campaign Iraqi conflict De-Ba'athification in Iraq Ba'ath Party archives Syrian civil war Fall of the Assad regime

Leadership

General Secretaries

Pre-split	Michel Aflaq Munif Razzaz
Iraqi-dominated faction	Michel Aflaq Saddam Hussein Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri Salah Al-Mukhtar*
Syrian-dominated faction	Nureddin al-Atassi Hafez al-Assad Abdullah al-Ahmar (de facto) Bashar al-Assad

Regional Secretaries

Iraq	Fuad al-Rikabi Talib El-Shibib Ali Salih al-Sa'di Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr Saddam Hussein Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri Mohammed Younis al-Ahmed*
Jordan	Abdullah Rimawi Munif Razzaz Akram al-Homsi*
Lebanon	Assem Qanso Abd al-Majid al-Rafei
Palestine	Isam al-Qadi Rakad Salem*
Syria	Hammud al-Shufi Shibli al-Aysami Amin al-Hafiz Nureddin al-Atassi Hafez al-Assad Bashar al-Assad

Members of the National Command

Members of the Regional Commands

Iraq	Humam Abd al-Khaliq Abd al-Ghafur Ghanim Abdul-Jalil Saad Abdul-Majid Jamal Mustafa Abdullah Mohammed Younis al-Ahmed Salah Omar al-Ali Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash Salih Mahdi Ammash Hussein Al-Awadi Tariq Aziz Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr Adil Abdullah Mahdi Al-Douri Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri Saadoun Ghaidan Fadil Mahmud Gharib Mizban Khadr al-Hadi Sa'dun Hammadi Qusay Hussein Saddam Hussein Latif Nassif Jassim Rashid Taan Kazim Adnan Khayr Allah Ali Hassan al-Majid Muhyi Abdul-Hussein Mashhadi Samir Abdul Aziz al-Najim Aziz Saleh Al-Numan Ghazi Hamoud Al-Obaidi Taha Yassin Ramadan Fawzi Mutlaq al-Rawi Rashid al-Rifai Fuad al-Rikabi Ali Salih al-Sa'di Abd Al-Baqi Abd Karim Al-Sadun Muhammad Zimam al-Sadun Abd al-Khaliq al-Samarra'i Abdullah Sallum al-Samarra'i Talib El-Shibib Nayef Shindakh Thamer Khamis Sirhan Hardan al-Tikriti Yahya Abdallah al-Ubaydi Tahir Yahya Mohammed Hamza Zubeidi Ibrahim Hesqel
Lebanon	Musa Shuaib
Syria	Hadiya Khalaf Abbas Abdullah al-Ahmar Hussein Arnous Bashar al-Assad Hafez al-Assad Maher al-Assad Rifaat al-Assad Nureddin al-Atassi Shibli al-Aysami Ali Abdullah Ayyoub Mohammed Saeed Bekheitan Muhsen Bilal Mahdi Dakhlallah Ahmad Diyab Ali Duba Fahd Jassem al-Freij Marwan Habash Ibrahim al-Hadid Amin al-Hafiz Muhammad Ali al-Halabi Wael Nader al-Halqi Adnan Badr Hassan Salim Hatum Hilal Hilal Mohammad al-Hussein Hisham Ikhtiyar Salah Jadid Abdul-Karim al-Jundi Sami al-Jundi Abdul Rauf al-Kasm Abdul Halim Khaddam Imad Khamis Ahmad al-Khatib Abdul Rahman Khleifawi Mohammad Jihad al-Laham Ibrahim Makhous Zuhair Masharqa Muhammad Mustafa Mero Muhammad Naji al-Otari Abdul Qadir Qaddura Hammouda Sabbagh Farouk al-Sharaa Hikmat al-Shihabi Hammud al-Shufi Mustafa Tlass Hasan Turkmani Muhammad Umran Salim Yasin Yusuf Zuayyin
Yemen	Ali Ahmad Nasser al-Dhahab

Heads of state

Iraq	Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr Saddam Hussein
Syria	Amin al-Hafiz Nureddin al-Atassi Ahmad al-Khatib Hafez al-Assad Abdul Halim Khaddam (interim) Bashar al-Assad

Heads of government

Iraq	Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr Saddam Hussein Sa'dun Hammadi Mohammed Hamza Zubeidi Ahmad Husayn Khudayir as-Samarrai
Syria	Salah al-Din al-Bitar Amin al-Hafiz Yusuf Zuayyin Nureddin al-Atassi Hafez al-Assad Abdul Rahman Khleifawi Mahmoud al-Ayyubi Muhammad Ali al-Halabi Abdul Rauf al-Kasm Mahmoud Al-Zoubi Muhammad Mustafa Mero Muhammad Naji al-Otari Adel Safar Riyad Farid Hijab Omar Ibrahim Ghalawanji Wael Nader al-Halqi Imad Khamis Hussein Arnous Mohammad Ghazi al-Jalali

* = incumbent

Organization

Regional branches

Iraqi-dominated faction	Algeria Bahrain Egypt Iraq Regional Command Jordan Lebanon Libya Mauritania Palestine Sudan Tunisia Yemen
Syrian-dominated faction	Jordan Lebanon Mauritania Palestine South Yemen Sudan Syria Central Command History National Security Bureau Yemen

Newspapers

Popular fronts

Wings

Paramilitary	Ba'ath Brigades Fedayeen Saddam National Defense Battalions Popular Army
Youth	Revolutionary Youth Union

Associated organizations

Armed groups

Breakaway groups

Political alliances

Current	Alliance of Palestinian Forces Forces of Freedom and Change March 8 Alliance National Consensus Forces National Democratic Alliance Palestine Liberation Organization Palestinian National and Islamic Forces
Former	Ahd Bloc Front of Patriotic and National Parties Lebanese National Movement Lebanese National Resistance Front National Alliance for the Liberation of Syria National Union Front Palestinian National Alliance Palestinian National Salvation Front Rejectionist Front

Political parties

Other organizations

Miscellaneous

Ideology	Anti-imperialism Anti-Zionism Arab nationalism Arab socialism Ba'athism Neo-Ba'athism Pan-Arabism Progressivism Republicanism Revolutionary socialism Saddamism Secularism Socialism Vanguardism
Literature	The Battle for One Destiny On the Way of Resurrection
Symbolism	Unity, Freedom, Socialism Arḍ ul-Furātayn Pan-Arab colors

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