Damascus, Syria — Syria's foreign minister embarked on a significant visit to Washington on Thursday, marking the first official trip by a high-ranking Syrian official to the United States in 25 years. This visit comes as the newly established government in Damascus seeks to recover from the long-standing civil war and enhance its relations with Western nations following the ousting of autocrat Bashar Assad.
Washington has been gradually easing the sanctions that were imposed on Syria under Assad, a development that gained momentum after U.S. President Donald Trump met with the interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia last May. This meeting was a pivotal moment that set Syria on the course to break decades of international isolation.
The new Syrian foreign minister, Asaad al-Shibani, had previously visited Washington to attend meetings at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. During that visit, he also held talks at the United Nations in New York.
This current visit sees al-Shibani engaging in discussions with U.S. officials and scheduled for a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Additionally, he is involved in negotiations with Israel, aiming to secure a security agreement along the border shared by the two nations, despite longstanding tensions.
The Syrian foreign ministry released a statement, referring to al-Shibani and his delegation's trip as an "official historic visit" to Washington. Axios, a U.S.-based news outlet, reported that al-Shibani's agenda in Washington includes discussions on Capitol Hill regarding the permanent removal of remaining sanctions on Syria, alongside meetings with Rubio.
In another diplomatic development, Ahmad al-Sharaa is expected to visit New York next week to attend the UN General Assembly, becoming the first Syrian head of state in decades to participate in the gathering.
President Trump signed an executive order in June, lifting numerous U.S. economic sanctions on Syria, fulfilling a commitment he made to al-Sharaa during their May meeting. Last month, al-Shibani held a rare direct meeting with an Israeli delegation in Paris, mediated by the U.S. as part of efforts to improve Syrian-Israeli relations despite recent tensions between the two. (AP)
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