One of the most prominent figures of the Syrian government, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates and Deputy Prime Minister Walid al-Muallem, died early Monday at the age of 79. 

The cause of death is not yet known.

In a joint statement by the official Syrian News Agency, SANA, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the death of Al-Muallem, who was "known for his supervising patriotic stances in various political and diplomatic work arenas."

Moscow, Damascus’s main ally during the years of conflict that has continued since 2011, has called him a “loyal friend and reliable partner."

Al-Muallem, a veteran diplomat, was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2006, and since 2012 he has held the position of Deputy Prime Minister. During the years of conflict, he always referred to the war in his country as a foreign "conspiracy." He was known for his mocking the positions of the West, which imposed sanctions on Syria and its officials.

The last public appearance of the Minister was last Wednesday during the opening of the conference on the return of refugees organized by Damascus with Russian support. He seemed tired and in poor health. Two people were required to help him enter the meeting room.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov mourned the "seasoned diplomat" whom had known him for 35 years. He said that Al-Muallem "knew the extent of the importance of Russian-Syrian relations."

"We lost a reliable partner and a loyal friend," he added, adding, "He was very intelligent, had a sense of humor, and had a deep knowledge of international politics and realities in the Middle East."

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Sultanate of Oman, the only Gulf country that maintained diplomatic relations with Syria, which Al-Muallem visited during the years of conflict, expressed its "condolences and condolences" on his death.

Al-Moallem’s foreign visits during the years of the conflict were restricted to a limited number of countries, most notably Russia and Iran, which support Damascus.

- Years of conflict -

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs states on its website that Syria has made a "breakthrough to try to isolate it" since Al-Muallem took over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, referring to his role in strengthening relations with a number of countries, especially the "strong relationship with Russia."

He repeatedly said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad “will remain in his position” as long as the people want him, and he was among the first to describe opponents of the regime as “terrorists” and among the fiercest critics of Kurdish fighters for receiving support from Washington.

Muallem was known for his calm tone and coolness even in the most difficult stages of the war, and he often spoke slowly.

August 31, 2011, the US sanctioned Muallem, who Washington said was "repeating the crisis of the international conspiracy and trying to hide the terrorist acts of the regime and spreading lies." An American official described him at the time as "the link between Damascus and Tehran."

He was subjected to European sanctions in the following year, in protest against Damascus's forced crackdown on demonstrations.

Al-Muallem, who is married and has three children, joined the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1964, a year after he graduated from Cairo University with a BA in Economics and Political Science. He traveled in several diplomatic assignments outside the country before his appointment as Damascus' ambassador to Washington between 1990 and 1999.

Al-Muallem has four books: Palestine and Armed Peace 1970, Syria in the Mandate Period from 1917 to 1948, Syria from Independence to Unity from 1948 to 1958 and The World and the Middle East in the American Perspective.