Rubio, Syrian president al-Sharaa hold talks in New York
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly
NEW YORK, United States (MNTV) – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, in the first such high-level contact in decades.
The US State Department said discussions focused on Washington’s priorities in Syria. Rubio “underscored this opportunity for Syria to build a stable and sovereign nation following President (Donald) Trump’s historic announcement earlier this year on sanctions relief for the Syrian people,” Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
According to the department, Rubio and al-Sharaa exchanged views on counterterrorism cooperation, the search for missing Americans, and “the importance of Israel-Syria relations in achieving greater regional security.”
Al-Sharaa, who is attending the UNGA in New York — the first Syrian head of state to do so since 1967 — has sought closer engagement with the US as part of his effort to normalize ties.
The meeting comes as Damascus presses for a permanent lifting of remaining US sanctions, much of which stem from a 2019 law targeting Bashar al-Assad’s government for war crimes during Syria’s 13-year civil war.
Trump lifted broad sanctions in July after his meeting with al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia. The Treasury Department followed in August by authorizing American companies to resume business with Syria.
In an interview published Sunday, al-Sharaa praised Trump’s decision as “quick, courageous and historic.” He said Syria and the US “need to discuss a great many issues and mutual interests,” adding he was open to meeting Trump again to “restore relations in a good and direct way.”
Al-Sharaa took office in January after Assad fled to Russia in December, ending the Baath Party’s 25-year rule. His transitional administration has since sought to reestablish Syria’s international standing.
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