Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani arrived in Washington on Thursday, marking the first official visit at this level in more than 25 years. The trip comes as the U.S. pursues a pro-Damascus policy, lifting sanctions and mediating between Syria’s new Islamist rulers and Israel.
Al-Shibani is scheduled to meet U.S. lawmakers to discuss the removal of remaining American sanctions, according to Senator Lindsey Graham, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The visit follows a shift in U.S. diplomacy toward Syria, including the abrupt removal of some senior officials focused on the country. Washington aims to integrate its longtime Syrian Kurdish allies with President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s central administration and has also been mediating talks between Israel and Syria. Sharaa, who will attend the UN General Assembly in New York next week, said negotiations for a security pact with Israel could produce results “in the coming days.”
The United States imposed strict sanctions on Syria in 2011 after former President Bashar al-Assad’s crackdown on protests triggered a nearly 14-year civil war. Since Sharaa’s forces took power in December, the U.S. has signaled a willingness to restore ties, with President Donald Trump announcing plans to lift sanctions after meeting Sharaa in May.
