Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shar’ah has arrived in the United States, according to the Syrian state news agency on Saturday, marking a historic first visit by a Syrian president to the White House, where he is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump.
اضافة اعلان
SANA reported the “arrival of the President of the Syrian Arab Republic Ahmad Al-Shar’ah in the United States on an official visit.”
During the visit, Damascus is expected to sign an agreement to join the U.S.-led international coalition against ISIS, as announced by U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack.
Meanwhile, reports surfaced that the U.S. plans to establish a military base near Damascus, according to a Syrian diplomatic source cited by AFP, though a Syrian official denied the claim.
Syria, emerging from a 14-year devastating conflict, is seeking funding for reconstruction, estimated by the World Bank at over $216 billion.
Ahead of the visit, the United States officially removed Al-Shar’ah from its terrorism list on Friday, just days before his arrival in Washington, following a Security Council decision to lift sanctions against him.
Shortly after his arrival, a video circulated on social media showing Al-Shar’ah and Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani playing basketball with U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Admiral Brad Cooper and International Coalition forces commander in Iraq Kevin Lambert during a previous visit to Damascus.
The coalition, along with other factions, had conducted the military operation that ousted former President Bashar Al-Assad on December 8.
Al-Shar’ah previously visited the United States to attend the UN General Assembly in New York, where he delivered a speech; however, this is his first official visit to Washington as president.
Trump and Al-Shar’ah are also expected to discuss direct security negotiations between Syrian authorities and Israel.
In May, Trump urged the Syrian president to join the Abraham Accords, the 2020 initiative that saw several Arab countries normalize relations with Israel.
In September, Al-Shar’ah stated that negotiations with Israel aim to reach a security agreement under which Israel would withdraw from areas in southern Syria it occupied following Assad’s fall and cease its airstrikes.
Since last December, Syria has faced multiple Israeli airstrikes and incursions in its southern regions without responding militarily.
—AFP
