Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al-Shibani will visit Washington, seeking talks on lifting U.S. sanctions in the first such trip in decades.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al-Shibani will travel to Washington on Thursday for talks with members of Congress about the permanent lifting of remaining U.S. sanctions, according to Axios.
The trip will be the first by a Syrian foreign minister to the U.S. capital in more than 25 years, marking a rare diplomatic engagement.
Al-Shibani is also expected to meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, underscoring the significance of the visit for both Washington and Damascus.
His journey follows a stop in London, where he held lengthy discussions with Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer on Israel’s proposal for a new bilateral security arrangement.
Sources familiar with the talks said al-Shibani and Dermer met for five hours under the supervision of U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, with discussions reportedly moving toward a possible deal.
The Washington visit signals Syria’s effort to ease decades of isolation and gain relief from U.S. sanctions while testing the possibility of broader regional engagement.
For the U.S. and Israel, the meetings could represent a tentative step toward reshaping ties with Damascus, though longstanding mistrust and unresolved conflicts remain major challenges.
