Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi has taken a leave for three month, Syrian daily al-Watan reported on Tuesday.

Syrian Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi has taken a leave for three month, Syrian daily al-Watan reported on Tuesday.

"The foreign ministry has authorized Jihad Makdissi to go on leave for a period of three months,” the newspaper said, citing an official source.
It added that Makdissi “left the country in a legal manner.”

This is the first reaction from Damascus regarding information that surfaced last week about Makdissi’s resignation.

The source also denied that the presidency's press office chief, Luna al-Shibl, had been slated to replace Makdissi.
"These are rumors on the Internet, and they are unfounded," the daily quoted the source as saying.