Former Syrian President dies in Amman

Amman announced on Saturday the death of former Syrian President Nazim al-Qudsi (91) who ruled Syria from 1961 - 1963 and has been residing in Amman since 1986.

Jordanian official source said that King Hussein, who is presently in London, delegated senior Jordanian officials to take part in the funeral ceremony for al-Qudsi, whose health conditions had drastically deteriorated before his death. Syrian charge d' affairs in Amman, Wahib Jaber also took part in the funeral ceremony.

Al-Qudsi, whose family came from Aleppo, in northern Syria, left Syria in 1963 when Amin al-Hafez assumed the Syrian presidency. Since then he resided in Lebanon from which he moved to Jordan in 1986.

He assumed presidency following the dissolution of unity between Egypt and Syria in 1958 under the leadership of President Jamal Abdul Nasser under the name of the United Arab Republic.

He started his political career in 1936 as parliament member representing the national bloc. In 1950 he was appointed foreign minister and then prime minister.