"President Assad has issued three decrees (322-323-324) on 11/22/2020 designating Dr. Faisal Mekdad as Minister of Foreign Affairs," a statement reads.
The 66-year-old career diplomat will take up the office after his predecessor, Walid Muallem died at a Damascus hospital at the age of 79.
The Syrian envoy to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, has been named deputy foreign minister and will be replaced in his UN role by Bassam Sabbagh, the envoy to the UN chemicals weapons watchdog.
"Ambassador Bassam Sabbagh was transferred to the permanent delegation in New York and appointed as the permanent representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations," the statement reads.
The country's long-time Foreign Minister, Walid Muallem, died on 16 November at the age of 79. He was appointed to the top diplomatic post in 2006 and had served as Deputy Prime Minister since 2012.
