Muhammad Mustafa Mero

Muhammad Mustafa Mero (Arabic: محمد مصطفى ميرو‎) (born Al-Tall, 1941) is a former Prime Minister of Syria who held the post between 2000 and 2003.

Early life, education and career

Mero attended Damascus University and attained a Ph.D. in Arabic literature and humanitarian sciences. He joined the Arab Teachers' Union becoming its secretary general for cultural affairs and publications. His earliest official appointment was in 1980 as mayor of Daraa, a small city on Syria's southern borders with Jordan. In 1986 Mero was appointed as mayor of al-Hasakah in northeast Syria, where he served for seven years. He was promoted to become governor of Aleppo Governorate, which borders Turkey to the north and holds Syria's second-biggest city Aleppo. 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.^[1]

Prime minister

In March 2000, shortly before the death of President Hafez al-Assad, Mero was appointed as prime minister. His cabinet was announced on 13 March 2000, and was tasked with tackling economic reforms and combatting corruption.^[2] After the death of President Hafez al-Assad, he was retained by the new president, Bashar al-Assad, and was promoted within the ranks of the ruling Baath 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.^[2] In December 2001, in an effort to stimulate economic reform, Mero was charged with forming a new cabinet,^[1] which saw extensive reorganization with several "pro-reform" ministers appointed to strategic portfolios related to the economy.^[2] 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.^[3] Mero resigned his post in early September 2003, reportedly due to the stagnation of the process of economic reform.^[2]

See also

• Cabinet of Syria (2001-2003)

References

v t e Prime Ministers of Syria since 1920 Kingdom of Syria (1920) al-Rikabi H. al-Atassi* al-Durubi al-Ulshi French Mandate of Syria (1920-1946) post established 1932 H. al-Azm al-Hasani A. al-Ayyubi Mardam Bey al-Haffar al-Bukhari post vacant, 1939-41 K. al-Azm al-Hakim H. al-Barazi al-Ulshi al-Jabiri al-Khoury al-Jabiri Syrian Republic (1946-1958) al-Jabiri K. al-Azm* Mardam Bey K. al-Azm al-Za'im M. al-Barazi H. al-Atassi al-Kudsi K. al-Azm al-Kudsi K. al-Azm al-Hakim al-Khatib al-Dawalibi Selu Shishakli al-Asali al-Ghazzi al-Khoury al-Asali al-Ghazzi al-Asali United Arab Republic (1958-1961) Kuhala Sarraj Syrian Arab Republic (1961-) al-Kuzbari al-Nuss al-Dawalibi al-Azma K. al-Azm al-Bitar al-Hafiz al-Bitar al-Hafiz Zuaiyin al-Bitar Zuaiyin N. al-Atassi al-Assad Kleifawi M. al-Ayyubi Kleifawi al-Halabi al-Kasm Zuabi Mero al-Otari Safar * acting