Syrian foreign minister to discuss lifting of US sanctions: Report

Syrian foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani will meet with US lawmakers in Washington this week to discuss the lifting of remaining US sanctions on his country, Senator Lindsey Graham was quoted as saying by Axios.

Al-Shaibani’s visit - the first by a Syrian foreign minister to Washington in more than 25 years - comes on the heels of remarks by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday that Syria’s negotiations with US ally Israel to reach a security pact could lead to results “in the coming days.”
Graham told Axios that he and other senators are due to meet al-Shaibani on Thursday to discuss the permanent lifting of certain sanctions authorized by legislation, including the Caesar Act.

Al-Shaibani is expected to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, Axios reported.

Graham said he would support the canceling of those sanctions if Syria officially moved toward a new security deal with Israel and joined a coalition against the Islamic State extremist group.

The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment about al-Shaibani’s visit.

Syria and Israel are in talks to reach an agreement that Damascus hopes will secure a halt to Israeli airstrikes and the withdrawal of Israeli troops who have pushed into southern Syria.

Reuters reported this week that Washington was pressuring Syria to reach a deal before world leaders gather next week for the UN General Assembly in New York.

Al-Sharaa has denied that the US was putting any pressure on Syria, saying the US was playing a mediating role.

He said Israel had carried out more than 1,000 strikes on Syria and conducted more than 400 ground incursions since December 8, when the opposition offensive he led toppled former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. The ouster followed 13 years of civil war.

President Donald Trump announced the lifting of some key US sanctions on Syria earlier this year.