Trump meets Syrian counterpart in Riyadh, urges normalisation with Israel

Daily News Egypt

14-05-2025

US President Donald Trump met with his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Wednesday, urging Syria to normalise relations with Israel, a day after Washington announced the lifting of sanctions on Damascus.
The meeting, also attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, lasted approximately half an hour and preceded the US-Gulf summit, a White House official said. A White House spokesperson added that during their discussions, President Trump called on his Syrian counterpart to sign the 'Abraham Accords' for normalisation with Israel. The spokesperson also indicated that President Trump pressed al-Sharaa to assist Washington in preventing the resurgence of the 'ISIS' organisation and to assume responsibility for detention centres in north-eastern Syria.
In response, Al-Sharaa called upon US companies to invest in Syria's oil and gas sector, the White House reported.
Turkish media outlets stated that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan participated in the meeting via telephone. Turkey's Anadolu Agency reported that President Erdoğan praised the US President's decision to lift sanctions on Syria, describing it as a move of historical significance.
This encounter marks the first meeting between the presidents of Syria and the United States in 25 years.
According to the Syrian Foreign Ministry, President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, in a meeting that also included the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United States, expressed his gratitude for 'regional and international support.' He emphasised 'Syria's confident progress towards the future.' The Syrian Foreign Ministry described the meeting as 'historic,' noting that it underscored the importance of lifting sanctions imposed on Syria and supporting the nation's path to recovery and reconstruction.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry also conveyed that the Saudi Crown Prince stressed the necessity of lifting the sanctions to achieve regional stability. Meanwhile, President Trump affirmed his country's commitment to standing by Syria at this pivotal juncture, according to the Damascus statement.
In an address to the US-Gulf summit following his meeting with al-Sharaa in Riyadh, US President Donald Trump affirmed that the normalisation of relations between Washington and Damascus had commenced with the al-Sharaa meeting. He indicated that Washington is exploring this path following the removal of sanctions.
This meeting occurred after President Trump announced the lifting of sanctions on Tuesday during a speech at the Saudi-US Investment Forum. He stated that the objective was to grant Syria a 'chance' foll