Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa is expected to visit the White House next week. The event marks the first official visit by a Syrian president.
“President al-Sharaa is scheduled to visit the White House this month, where he will hold discussions on Syria’s post-war reconstruction,” Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani said, according to a statement published by state-run media. The meeting is expected to center on sanctions.
“There will be many issues on the table, starting with the lifting of sanctions and opening of a new chapter between the United States and Syria. We want to establish a very strong partnership between the two countries,” the official added, as per Reuters.
President Trump met with al-Sharaa in May. At the time, he described the Syrian leader as a “[y]oung, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.”
“He’s got a real shot at holding it together,” Trump said. “He’s a real leader. He led a charge and he’s pretty amazing.”
In June, President Trump signed an order lifting sanctions placed on Syria. “This order supports United States national security and foreign policy goals by directing additional actions, including the removal of sanctions on Syria, the issuance of waivers that permit the relaxation of export controls and other restrictions on Syria, and other actions,” the order says, adding that the efforts will be made “without providing relief to ISIS or other terrorist organizations, human rights abusers, those linked to chemical weapons or proliferation-related activities, or other persons that threaten the peace, security, or stability of the United States, Syria, and its neighbors.”
