US President Donald Trump says he is considering normalizing relations with Damascus after Washington met Syrian interim president Ahmed Alshara, the first encounter between the two nations’ leaders in 25 years.
Trump made the announcement Wednesday at a meeting with leaders of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, during which the US would drop “all sanctions” against Syria, Al Jazeera reported.
“With the support of the great leaders of this room, we are now exploring normalising relations with the new Syrian government,” Trump confirmed a brief meeting with Alshara.
A “suspension of sanctions” will give Syria a “new start,” Trump said.
“We will remove all sanctions.”
The US president said he had discussed lifting sanctions between Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recept Tayyip Erdogan.
He said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani, Torkier, to discuss further US relations.