The decision follows Trump’s groundbreaking announcement last week that US sanctions over Syria will be lifted.
A U.S. State Department spokesman said there were “no announcements at this time.”
Speaking to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, Secretary of State Rubio said he has allowed Turkish embassy staff, including Barracks, to work with local Syrian officials to understand what assistance is needed.
“We want to help the government succeed because the alternative would be full-scale civil war and chaos, and of course it would destabilize the entire region,” Rubio said.
According to the Turkish Foreign Ministry, a Syrian-focused US conference was attended by Barracks in Washington on Tuesday, saying efforts to relieve sanctions and counter terrorism were discussed.
The US had sought a step-by-step approach to Syria’s sanctions relief until it announced that Trump was ordering a “suspension of sanctions.” He said the decision was made after discussions between Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
Trump also met with Syrian interim president Ahmed Alshara in Saudi Arabia on May 14, urging him to normalize relations with longtime enemy Israel following his surprise announcement of sanctions.
Eliminating US sanctions that separate Syria from the global financial system will clear the path to greater involvement by humanitarian organisations working in Syria, facilitating foreign investment and trade that the country appears to restructure.
rhm