Muhammad Mustafa Mero (; 1941 – 22 December 2020) was a Syrian politician who served as

Prime Minister of Syria The prime minister of Syria (), officially the president of the Council of Ministers of the Syrian Arab Republic, was the head of government of Syria from 1920 to 2025. After the fall of the Assad regime, the prime minister of Syria was the head ...

from 7 March 2000 to 10 September 2003.

Early life and education

Mero was born into a

Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...

rural family in al-Tall in the outskirts of

Damascus Damascus ( , ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in the Levant region by population, largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital in the world and, according to some, the fourth Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. Kno ...

in 1941. He attended

Damascus University Damascus University () is the largest and oldest university in Syria, located in the capital Damascus, with campuses in other Syrian cities. It was founded in 1923 as the Syrian University () through the merger of the Faculty of Medicine of Dama ...

. Later he acquired a PhD in Arabic language and literature from the

University of Moscow Moscow State University (MSU), officially M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University,. is a public research university in Moscow, Russia. The university includes 15 research institutes, 43 faculties, more than 300 departments, and six branches. Al ...

Career

Mero became a member of the

Ba'ath Party The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party ( ' ), also known simply as Bath Party (), was a political party founded in Syria by Michel Aflaq, Salah al-Din al-Bitar, and associates of Zaki al-Arsuzi. The party espoused Ba'athism, which is an ideology ...

in 1966. He joined the Arab Teachers' Union, becoming its secretary general for cultural affairs and publications. He served as governor of the Daraa province from 1980 to 1986. He was appointed governor of the Al Hasakah province in 1986 and served in the post until 1993. In 1993, he became governor of the Aleppo province and was in office until 2000. Despite regional tensions between Syria and Turkey at the time, he was said to have enjoyed good relations with the Turkish government and was integral in dealings between the two governments. In June 2000, he became a leading figure in the

Ba'ath party The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party ( ' ), also known simply as Bath Party (), was a political party founded in Syria by Michel Aflaq, Salah al-Din al-Bitar, and associates of Zaki al-Arsuzi. The party espoused Ba'athism, which is an ideology ...

. On 7 March 2000, shortly before the death of President

Hafez al-Assad Hafez al-Assad (6 October 193010 June 2000) was a Syrian politician and military officer who was the president of Syria from 1971 until Death and state funeral of Hafez al-Assad, his death in 2000. He was previously the Prime Minister of Syria ...

, Mero was appointed as prime minister, replacing Mahmoud Zuabi, who had been in office since 1987. Mero's cabinet was announced on 13 March 2000, and was tasked with tackling economic reforms and combatting corruption. After the death of Assad in 2000, he was one of a nine-member committee that oversaw the transition period. He was retained by the new president,

Bashar al-Assad Bashar al-Assad (born 11September 1965) is a Syrian politician, military officer and former dictator Sources characterising Assad as a dictator: who served as the president of Syria from 2000 until fall of the Assad regime, his government ...

, and was promoted within the ranks of the ruling Ba'ath Party. Mero headed a ministerial and commercial delegation to neighboring Iraq in August 2001, becoming the first Syrian prime minister to visit the country since the

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

. In December 2001, in an effort to stimulate economic reform, Mero was charged with forming a new cabinet, which saw extensive reorganization with several "pro-reform" ministers appointed to strategic portfolios related to the economy. His premiership also oversaw improving ties with Turkey. In July 2003, Mero became the first Syrian prime minister to visit Turkey in 17 years, where he signed three agreements on health, oil and natural gas, and customs matters. Mero resigned from office in early September 2003, reportedly due to the stagnation of the process of economic reform. Parliament speaker Mohammed Naji Al Otari replaced him as prime minister. Mero continued his political career as a member of the central committee of the Ba'ath Party. His term ended in June 2005, and he retired from politics.

Death

Mero died from

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

in Al-Tall, on 22 December 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Syria. He was 79 years old.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mero, Muhammad Mustafa 1941 births 2020 deaths Damascus University alumni Moscow State University alumni Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Syria Syrian Kurdish politicians Syrian Sunni Muslims Members of the Regional Command of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Syria Region People from Rif Dimashq Governorate Prime ministers of Syria Governors of Aleppo

Early life and education

Career

Death

See also

Notes

References