US President Donald Trump met with Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Riyadh on Wednesday, a day after announcing the removal of all sanctions against Syria.
The brief and informal meeting took place at around 10:15 local time in the Saudi capital, according to American delegation members. It marks the first encounter between a US and a Syrian president in nearly 25 years.
Washington had announced on Tuesday that Trump agreed to greet the Syrian president during his stay in Saudi Arabia.
According to a White House statement, Trump urged al-Sharaa to normalise relations between Syria and Israel.
Syria has viewed Israel as an enemy for decades, and Israeli forces have repeatedly targeted sites in Syria over the past few years.
Former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was closely aligned with Iran, Israel’s arch-enemy, and facilitated arms shipments to Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia fighting against Israel.
During the meeting, Trump also stated that Syria must “take responsibility” for prisons holding members of the terrorist organisation IS.
Furthermore, he "encouraged" the expulsion of "Palestinian terrorists". For decades, Syria has hosted Palestinian groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
According to Turkey’s state media, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the meeting online. He expressed satisfaction with the US decision to lift sanctions against Syria, reports news agency Anadolu.
Trump is currently in the Middle East, visiting three Gulf states. On Tuesday in Riyadh, he announced that he had ordered the lifting of all sanctions on Syria, stating it would allow the country to “become great,” referencing his own campaign slogan.
The United States had imposed sanctions on Syria after President Bashar al-Assad violently suppressed anti-government protests in 2011, leading to a protracted civil war.
In December last year, Assad was ousted by an Islamist rebel alliance led by al-Sharaa. As interim president, al-Sharaa is now seeking to present a moderate image and to ease international sanctions on Syria. The meeting with the US President is seen as a significant step towards international recognition of Syria’s new leadership.
