United States President Donald Trump is set to host Syria’s interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa for talks in Washington this month, marking the first visit by a Syrian president to the White House in more than eight decades.
According to the report, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani announced during a speech in Bahrain on Sunday that the upcoming visit aims to open a “new chapter” in relations between Damascus and Washington.
“President Ahmed al-Sharaa will be at the White House at the start of November,” al-Shaibani said. “Of course, this is a historic visit. It is the first visit by a Syrian president to the White House in more than 80 years.”
Al-Shaibani added that the talks would focus on the lifting of sanctions and the establishment of a stronger partnership between the two nations. He described the meeting as an opportunity to “open a new chapter between the United States and Syria.”
US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack confirmed that al-Sharaa is expected to sign an agreement during his visit to join an international US-led alliance against the ISIL (ISIS) group.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, who took power from Bashar al-Assad in December, has been working to rebuild Syria’s diplomatic ties with world powers that had distanced themselves during Assad’s rule.
He previously met Trump in Saudi Arabia in May, marking the first encounter between the two nations’ leaders in 25 years. The meeting took place on the sidelines of Trump’s discussions with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders and was described as a significant step for a Syria emerging from over five decades of Assad family rule.
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In September, al-Sharaa addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York, underlining his efforts to bring Syria back into global diplomatic circles after years of isolation.
Al-Sharaa, who once led Syria’s offshoot of al-Qaeda, broke away from the network a decade ago and later clashed with ISIL. The Syrian leader was previously wanted by the United States, which had placed a USD 10 million bounty on his head. He was also imprisoned by American forces during the Iraq conflict.
The report added that al-Sharaa’s planned visit comes as Trump calls on Middle Eastern allies to work towards lasting peace in the region. The diplomatic outreach follows a ceasefire and captives exchange between Israel and Hamas, aimed at ending Israel’s two-year war in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Syria and Israel are reportedly engaged in talks to reach an agreement that could halt Israeli air strikes on Syrian territory and lead to the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Syria.
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