Syria's Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali announced Bassam Sabbagh as the country's new foreign minister on Monday.

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 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 Assad regime'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.