On May 14, US President Donald Trump met with Syria's interim president Ahmad ash-Shara’a in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh. This was reported by the Associated Press.
Some details of the meeting were shared by White House Press Secretary Karolin Levitt. According to her, the US president demanded during the meeting that the Syrian leader officially recognize Israel diplomatically and expel all foreign terrorists from the country's territory. Donald Trump also called for close cooperation with the US in combating any resurgence of the ISIS terrorist organization and urged Syria to sign the historically significant Abraham Accords with Israel.
Additionally, the US leader requested the Syrian government to take responsibility for the ISIS militants remaining in the country. In turn, Syrian President Ahmad ash-Shara’a invited American investors to the country's oil and gas industry, emphasizing that this would contribute to the development of the national economy and further expand international cooperation. He also noted that the country has the potential to serve as an important bridge in trade relations between the East and the West.
Ahmad ash-Shara’a expressed gratitude to Donald Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for their efforts in organizing the meeting. At the same time, it was noted that the two countries have common goals in the fight against terrorism and the elimination of chemical weapons. The meeting also discussed the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Gaza Strip.
Notably, this meeting was the first historic dialogue between US and Syrian leaders in the last 25 years
