President Trump met the new leader of Syria on Wednesday, one day after announcing a plan to lift sanctions on that country — a move that could ease the economic stranglehold on a nation battered by civil war and sectarian strife.
It was the first time in 25 years that the two countries’ leaders had met, and another milestone in Syria’s bid to reintegrate itself into the international community after decades of isolation and almost 14 years of civil war. The two men spoke for about half an hour just before a summit of Gulf leaders in Saudi Arabia, a White House official said.
Mr. Trump told Mr. al-Shara that “he has a tremendous opportunity to do something historic in his country,” according to a summary of the meeting from the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt. The president also urged Mr. al-Shara to take steps to normalize Syria’s relations with Israel, which have long been hostile, and to tell “all foreign terrorists to leave” the country, the summary said.
Mr. Trump met Mr. al-Shara at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, who took part in the meeting.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, which backed the insurgency that brought Mr. al-Shara to power, joined by phone. Prince Mohammed and Mr. Erdogan had both urged Mr. Trump to lift the sanctions on Syria, and they praised the move in the meeting on Wednesday, with the crown prince describing it as “courageous,” according to the White House summary.
The encounter was also a stunning turnaround for Mr. al-Shara, an ex-militant who led the rebel alliance that ousted the dictator Bashar al-Assad in December. He once led a branch of Al Qaeda before he broke ties with the jihadist group and sought to moderate his image. The United States had designated his insurgent group as a terrorist organization, and until just five months ago, it offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to his arrest.
Mr. al-Shara, in a televised speech to the nation late Wednesday night, credited broad support from many other countries in the region, notably Saudi Arabia and Turkey, as critical to getting relief from U.S. sanctions.
“Today, I do not celebrate the lifting of sanctions alone. I celebrate the return of true brotherhood and the emotional connection between nations in our region,” he said. “President Donald Trump responded to these collective efforts, and his decision to lift sanctions was the result of a unified will.”
He welcomed investors to help rebuild Syria, pledging it would be “a land of peace and joint cooperation,” and not “a battleground for foreign influence.” He said Syrian unity and sacrifices “played a major role in shifting global opinion.”
Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi foreign minister, said at a news conference later on Wednesday that Syria’s “many opportunities, capabilities, and resources” were “one of the most important points of discussion” at the meeting. “It has resources, and more importantly, it has a capable people: an educated, knowledgeable population that is eager to move Syria into a new phase,” he said.
The meeting took place on the second day of Mr. Trump’s four-day Middle East tour, the first major overseas trip of his second term. The first day focused in large part on business deals, including for defense equipment and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
Mr. Trump has cultivated close diplomatic and business relationships with Saudi Arabia, and the cozy relations offered Gulf leaders an opportunity to push for the lifting of sanctions on Syria, which many of them see as critical to stemming economic collapse and preventing fresh conflict that could spread beyond the country’s borders.
Reham Mourshed contributed reporting.
Ismaeel Naar is an international reporter for The Times, covering the Gulf states. He is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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