Syria's interim president said on Tuesday his country had a "historic opportunity" to rebuild, addressing a national dialogue summit billed by Syria's Islamist rulers as a key milestone after decades of Assad family rule.
Hundreds of Syrians gathered at the presidential palace in Damascus for the one-day event, arriving on a red carpet previously reserved for the few foreign dignitaries visiting former president Bashar al-Assad until he was toppled last year by a rebel offensive spearheaded by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
The group's head, Ahmed al-Sharaa, was named by military rebel commanders as the country's interim president last month and he swiftly pledged to hold a national dialogue to discuss the country's future.
"Syria liberated itself on its own, and it suits it to build itself on its own," he said in his opening address on Tuesday.
"What we are living today is an exceptional, historic and rare opportunity. We must take advantage of every moment of it to serve the interests of our people and our country," he said.