Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani meets U.S. officials in Washington, marking the first official Syrian visit in 25 years: Image credit: Barcopa.nl
(The Post News) – Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani met on Thursday in Washington with U.S. Treasury and State Department officials for the first time in over 25 years. Their discussions included reunifying Syria with the world economy and reviewing U.S. sanctions that have strangled its recovery.
The Treasury Department clarified that it is working directly with Syria to “responsibly and safely reconnect its economy to the global financial system while combating the financing of terrorism.” The United States Special Envoy for Syria and Ambassador to Türkiye, Tom Barrack, participated along with senior Treasury officials and Qutaiba Idlbi, Syria’s director of American affairs.
Congress Presses on Sanction Relief
On Capitol Hill, Shaibani sat down with a bipartisan group of senators to press for a repeal of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, which limits foreign investment in Syria.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) led the discussions with Sens. Roger Wicker, Chris Coons, Joni Ernst, Jacky Rosen, Markwayne Mullin, Richard Blumenthal, and Andy Kim.
“Syria’s economy is collapsing. Without new investment, the state could fall apart, and fighting can resume. That benefits no one but Russia and Iran,” Shaheen warned. She urged her colleagues to sanction permanently.
Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), a member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, echoed her remarks after meeting with Shaibani. “Syria has a chance to create a stable democracy, and the U.S. should help lock that future in place,” he posted on X.
The visit came after President Donald Trump’s June executive order reversing significant sanctions. The action was a fulfilment of his commitment to Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa during their historic meeting in Saudi Arabia in May, the first between U.S. and Syrian leaders in a quarter of a century.
Trump referred to the Caesar sanctions as “brutal and crippling,” and his administration has since been calling on international investors to return to the Syrian market. However, human rights abuses, sanctions, chemical weapons sanctions, and narcotics sanctions still stand.
Al-Sharaa, who succeeded Bashar al-Assad after the latter fled to Russia in December 2024, is leading Syria’s transitional government. He will be speaking before the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week, another historic first in decades.
Israel- Syria Security Talks
Shaibani’s Washington trip also touched on U.S.-brokered security talks with Israel. Before arriving, he reportedly met in Paris with Israeli officials to discuss proposals for an expanded border buffer zone, arms restrictions, and a no-fly zone for Syrian aircraft near Israel.
Tom Barrack described the negotiations as a potential “game-changer for Middle East stability.”
Syrian Foreign Ministry referred to the visit as an “official historic visit.” Shaibani will also meet with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the coming days.
While Congress debates the repeal of the Caesar Act in its entirety, there’s a lot on the line. If sanctions are removed, Syria could receive the much-needed investment that would help support its shaky democracy, finally turning a corner after decades of isolation.
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