Syrian President al-Sharaa meets U.S. Secretary of State Rubio in New York

Syrian President al-Sharaa meets U.S. Secretary Rubio in New York, 22 September 2025
Reuters

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met on Monday with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, in the first such high-level engagement since Washington eased sanctions on Damascus.

The U.S. State Department said the talks centred on American priorities in Syria. Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott noted that 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."

The two sides also discussed counterterrorism efforts, the fate of missing Americans, and "the importance of Israel-Syria relations in achieving greater regional security," according to the statement.

Al-Sharaa travelled to New York to address the General Assembly, the first Syrian head of state to do so since 1967. His appearance comes as Damascus seeks the permanent lifting of U.S. sanctions that remain in place under a 2019 law targeting Bashar al-Assad’s government for war crimes during the 13-year civil war.

Tags