Syria has a new foreign minister as prime minister names his Cabinet

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syria’s prime minister named his Cabinet Monday with a new foreign minister, Bassam Sabbagh, state media reported.

Sabbagh was a deputy to former Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, who was appointed the vice president for foreign and information policies.

President Bashar Assad earlier this month named former Communications Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali as the head of the new government following July’s parliamentary election.

The main ministries remained unchanged with Maj. Gen. Ali Abbas as defense minister and Maj. Gen. Mohammed Khaled Rahmoun as interior minister.

Jalali, the new prime minister, has been under European Union sanctions since October 2014 over the government's crackdown during Syria’s civil conflict that has left nearly half a million people dead since 2011.

The announcement of the new government came a day after Assad issued an amnesty for crimes committed before Sept. 22, including those who did not do the compulsory military service.

Assad had issued similar amnesties over the past years.