<p class="bodytext">President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday appointed Faisal Mekdad as Syria's new foreign minister, replacing Walid Muallem who died last week, the presidency announced in a statement.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Mekdad will be replaced as deputy foreign minister by Syria's ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, the statement said.</p>
<p class="bodytext">President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday appointed Faisal Mekdad as Syria's new foreign minister, replacing Walid Muallem who died last week, the presidency announced in a statement.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Mekdad will be replaced as deputy foreign minister by Syria's ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari, the statement said.</p>