WASHINGTON
US President Donald Trump agreed to meet Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa during his visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, according to a White House official.
“The president agreed to say hello to the Syrian president while in Saudi Arabia tomorrow,” said the official on Tuesday, requesting anonymity.
The meeting is expected to take place in Riyadh, where Trump arrived early Tuesday as part of his first overseas trip since taking office in January.
His regional tour also includes planned visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Trump told reporters on Monday before departing for Saudi Arabia that he is considering lifting US sanctions on Syria as he wants to create a “fresh start” for Damascus.
“We’re going to have to make a decision on the sanctions, which we may very well relieve. We may take them off Syria because we want to give them a fresh start. But President Erdogan has asked me about that, many people have asked me about that,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
The statements signal that the West may soon lift sanctions on Syria as it seeks to rebuild following nearly 15 years of a devastating civil war.
Bashar al-Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, marking the end of the Baath Party’s rule that began in 1963, after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus.
