Syrian president to visit US in November, FM confirms

Syria’s Transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa is set to visit the United States in November, marking the first visit by a Syrian head of state to Washington since the country gained independence in 1946, the Syrian Foreign Minister  Asaad al-Shaibani confirmed.

During the visit, al-Sharaa is expected to meet with U.S. officials at the White House to discuss post-war reconstruction efforts in Syria, Sana reports.

The Syrian Foreign Minister highlighted that the discussions will also focus on the complete lifting of sanctions imposed on the country.

Al-Shaibani explicitly called for the "complete lifting" of US sanctions, including the Caesar Act (2019), which targets Assad-era officials and entities for human rights abuses.

He argued, "There is no justification for continuing these sanctions," citing the regime change and HTS's pledges against extremism. The US has already eased some sectoral sanctions in early 2025 but maintains designations on HTS as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), complicating full relief.

Al-Shaibani emphasised the upcoming visit as a "new chapter" in bilateral ties.

The exact date of the visit remains unspecified but is expected in November.

By Khagan Isayev