Syria's foreign minister Walid Muallem dies

Syria's foreign minister, Walid Muallem, died Monday at the age of 79, the government announced on state television.

The state news agency SANA carried an official government announcement but did not specify the cause of death.

Muallem was known for his mocking stances against the West, whom he accused of conspiring to start the conflict.

The veteran diplomat, who had been foreign minister since 2006, started  his career as a diplomat in 1964. Since 2012, a year after Syria's deadly conflict started, he was also made deputy foreign minister.

There were no details on the cause of death, but the 79-year old had for years been in poor health with heart problems. 

A source close to the Syrian government said it was widely expected his deputy, veteran diplomat Faisal Mekdad, would replace his as foreign minister.

Moalem, who was first appointed foreign minister in 2006 and was also a deputy prime minister, held a succession of top diplomatic posts, including envoy to the United States and was involved in unsuccessful negotiations with Israel in the 1990's on a peace settlement.

Moalem, from a Sunni family from Damascus, publicly defended Moscow and Shi'ite Iran's growing military role, backed by its proxies in Syria, which many Syrian opponents of Assad labelled as an occupation and blamed for fuelling sectarian tension in a Sunni-majority country.

Syria erupted into civil war nearly a decade ago after Assad in 2011 began a crackdown on protesters calling for an end to his family’s rule.

Moalem accused the United States and others in the West of fuelling his country's unrest and labelled insurgents "terrorists" in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and led to the exodus of millions of refugees.

(with inputs from agencies)