Syria’s foreign ministry announced on Sunday it had appointed a former spokesman under now ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad as an adviser, returning him to the diplomatic corps years after he joined the opposition.A ministry list of “new appointments” included Jihad Makdissi as “adviser for American affairs.”For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Makdissi, who lives in the United States, said on X that with “pride and gratitude, I return today to the ranks of the new Syrian diplomacy.”He was once one of the most recognizable faces of al-Assad’s authorities during the early days of the country’s civil war, which erupted in March 2011 and ended after the new authorities toppled the longtime leader in December 2024.A Christian native of Damascus, Makdissi took up the post of foreign ministry spokesman soon after the uprising erupted and became known for his active Twitter account.The longtime al-Assad loyalist then disappeared from public view in December 2012, breaking his silence several months later by saying he had “left Syria because the polarization in the country has reached a deadly and destructive stage.“I wish I could have stayed... but there is no longer room for moderation in this chaos,” he had added.In exile, he became a prominent figure in an opposition grouping known as the Cairo group, and participated in UN-sponsored talks in Geneva.He presented himself as an independent and moderate voice, urging political transition through dialogue rather than militarization and foreign military intervention, before gradually distancing himself from the political scene.After al-Assad’s fall, he undertook several visits to Syria, meeting officials in the new administration.His appointment comes as Syria’s authorities are rebooting and rebuilding international relations after nearly 14 years of civil war and diplomatic isolation, with the United States having emerged as a prominent supporter.Read more: Syrian president has no intention of intervening in Lebanon: Sources