Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with US President Donald Trump on Monday. The landmark White House visit saw Syria join the US-led coalition against ISIL. It also secured a further 180-day suspension of American sanctions.
The meeting caps a dramatic year for the 43-year-old Syrian leader. Since toppling President Bashar al-Assad’s government in December last year, he has embarked on a global diplomatic tour with the goal to end Syria’s international isolation.
The White House talks focused on counter-terrorism, economic development, and regional security.
SMread: Activists plan national shutdown ahead of G20 summit
A new partnership
During the visit, Syria officially signed up to the “Global Coalition to Defeat ISIL”. This makes it the 90th member of the international coalition. Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa confirmed the political cooperation agreement. He stated it contains no military components at this stage.
The move follows recent anti-ISIL raids by Syrian security forces. Over 70 people were arrested in these nationwide operations.
President Trump praised al-Sharaa as a “strong leader”. He vowed to do everything possible to make Syria successful. This follows a previous meeting between the two in Saudi Arabia in May. The US has now extended its suspension of the Caesar Act sanctions for another six months.
However, a full repeal of the sanctions requires congressional approval. This remains a key objective for al-Sharaa’s government. The cost of rebuilding the war-torn country is estimated at over $200 billion.
The White House visit underscores a major policy shift for the US. Al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Golani, once led an al-Qaeda affiliate. Although the US had a $10 million bounty for his capture, he was recently removed from Washington’s “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” list.
Image via France24.
