Syrian President Set to Make First Visit to White House
(MENAFN) Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is set to visit the White House in early November, marking the first official trip by a Syrian leader in more than eight decades, the country’s foreign minister announced Sunday.
“President Ahmad al-Sharaa will be at the White House at the start of November,” Asaad al-Shaibani said during a speech in Bahrain.
“Of course, this is a historic visit. It is the first visit by a Syrian president to the White House in more than 80 years,” Shaibani added.
US Special Envoy Tom Barrack, who also serves as US ambassador to Türkiye, confirmed to Axios that the meeting is scheduled for Nov. 10, during the second week of the month.
The Syrian delegation plans to discuss a range of issues, with a particular focus on lifting economic sanctions and supporting reconstruction efforts in post-war Syria, the foreign minister said.
The talks will also cover counter-ISIS (Daesh) initiatives, which Shaibani described as “not the sole responsibility of Syria,” calling it “an international threat that cannot be dealt with only by the Syrian government.”
Syria is seeking to open “a new chapter” in its relationship with the United States and establish “good relations,” he stressed.
Addressing Israeli military activity, Shaibani said over 1,000 cross-border raids have been documented since Dec. 8, attributing them to Tel Aviv’s “expansionist policy,” which he described as “not acceptable and cannot be justified.”
Despite international calls to respect Syrian sovereignty, Israeli forces have carried out multiple incursions into Syria’s southern provinces in recent months. Following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in late 2024, Israel further extended its occupation of the Golan Heights by taking control of the demilitarized buffer zone, violating the 1974 Disengagement Agreement.
Shaibani reaffirmed Syria’s adherence to the 1974 Disengagement Agreement, emphasizing that Damascus “doesn’t want to engage in a new war.”
“We do not want Syria to be a center of polarization, but rather a unified path for all, building its relations on cooperation and openness,” he said.
The minister also urged neighboring nations and regional allies to support Syria’s reconstruction, arguing it would bring “not only…stability and prosperity, but also…benefit and peace for the entire region.”
Since Assad fled to Russia in late 2024, ending the Baath Party’s six-decade rule, Syria has been pursuing economic recovery by attracting investment and forging trade agreements with regional states and companies.
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