Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs engages in talks with American authorities in Washington D.C.
The U.S. and Syria have taken a significant step towards normalising their relations, with President Donald Trump announcing the intent to lift sanctions on Syria, subject to certain exceptions, through an executive order on June 30, 2025.
The decision to lift the sanctions follows Trump's declaration at a Saudi investment forum in May 2025, where he expressed his intention to end the "brutal and crippling" Syria sanctions. The announcement came after a meeting between Trump and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia, which marked the first meeting between U.S. and Syrian leaders in 25 years.
The U.S. Treasury Department confirmed the talks, and stated that they are working with Syria to reconnect its economy to the global financial system while combating the financing of terrorism. The talks, which took place on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), also involved U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, senior Treasury officials, and members of Shaibani's delegation, including Qutaiba Idlbi.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani's visit to the United States on Thursday in Washington is aimed at seeking the permanent lifting of remaining U.S. sanctions on Syria. During his visit, he is expected to meet with US Senators Bob Menendez and Jim Risch to discuss the matter further. Shaibani is also scheduled to meet with U.S. senators to discuss the permanent removal of sanctions imposed under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019.
This first visit by a Syrian foreign minister to the United States in more than 25 years is a significant development in the ongoing efforts to improve relations between the two countries. The U.S. sanctions programme on Syria, with exceptions for human rights abuses, chemical weapons activity, and drug trafficking, was terminated by President Donald Trump's executive order on June 30, 2025. However, the permanent lifting of sanctions remains to be seen, as discussions between the U.S. and Syrian officials continue.
