This morning (Thursday), American envoy Thomas Barrack raised the United States flag at the long-closed ambassador’s residence in Damascus, in a formal event attended by Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani.
First Official Visit
Thomas Barrack, the U.S. envoy to Syria, arrived today for his first official visit to the American ambassador’s residence in Damascus—a symbolic diplomatic step, the first of its kind since ties were severed following the outbreak of Syria’s civil war in 2011.
Barrack, who concurrently serves as the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, was appointed to his new position just last week.
Accompanied by the Syrian Foreign Minister
Foreign Minister al-Shaibani accompanied Barrack upon his arrival, signaling what appears to be an initial attempt by both countries to explore the reopening of a diplomatic channel after more than a decade of disengagement.
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“A Chance for a Better Future”
Over the weekend, Barrack met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Istanbul. In a statement released following the meeting, Barrack praised the Syrian president for “significant steps in addressing the issue of foreign fighters” and for “improving relations with Israel.”
According to a report by the Syrian news agency SANA, the meeting focused on possible steps to lift sanctions on Syria. President al-Sharaa emphasized to Barrack that the sanctions continue to weigh heavily on the Syrian public and hinder the country’s economic recovery efforts.
“I emphasized that lifting sanctions on Syria would uphold our central objective—the ongoing defeat of ISIS—and would offer the Syrian people a chance at a better future,” Barrack stated.
U.S. to Lift Sanctions on Syria
The American administration is working toward lifting sanctions on Syria, which is currently designated a “state sponsor of terrorism,” as part of a broader effort to remove the designation entirely, the London-based newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported Thursday morning.
A knowledgeable source told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that in recent weeks, the U.S. administration has been actively discussing Syria’s removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and that concrete steps toward a permanent removal are expected. Farouk Bilal, President of the Syrian American Council, confirmed to the paper that the administration is indeed moving forward with this decision, adding that it “will be made soon.”
