Syrian President arrives in Washington

Syrian President Ahmad Al Sharaa arrived in the US capital late Saturday for an official visit, marking the first visit by a Syrian head of state to the White House since Syria gained independence in 1946.

According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), President Al Sharaa is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on Monday. The meeting will be the third between the two leaders following previous encounters in Riyadh and New York.
The visit comes as Syria seeks international support to fund reconstruction efforts after 14 years of conflict. Talks are expected to cover bilateral relations and regional and international developments, with an emphasis on US-backed initiatives to support stability and recovery in Syria.

On Friday, the United States lifted sanctions on President Al Sharaa and Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab, following a similar decision by the UN Security Council the previous day.
The Security Council resolution passed with 14 votes in favor and one abstention, from China, thereby removing the Syrian president and interior minister from international sanctions lists.