US envoy meets Syria's leader after lifting of sanctions
ANKARA — The US ambassador to Turkey, who has assumed the role of Syria envoy, said Saturday he had met the country's interim leader following Washington's lifting of sanctions on the war-torn country.
Tom Barrack, who met with interim leader Ahmed Al Sharaa in Istanbul, said in a statement: "I reiterated the United States' support for the Syrian people after so many years of conflict and violence.”
"President Trump's goal is to enable the new government to create the conditions for the Syrian people to not only survive but thrive.”
"I stressed the cessation of sanctions against Syria will preserve the integrity of our primary objective and will give the people of Syria a chance for a better future."
The Syrian president met the US envoy accompanied by his foreign minister, Assaad Al Shaibani, his office said in a statement.
Earlier Saturday, Sharaa met Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul.
Since Assad's ouster, the new administration has been looking to build relations with the West and roll back sanctions, but some governments had expressed reluctance, pointing to the Islamist past of leading figures.
The EU announced the lifting of sanctions earlier this month and Washington followed suit on Friday.
Both Erdogan and Sharaa have expressed their determination to work together to combat terror threats in Syria.
Ankara has called for the expulsion of foreign Kurdish fighters from northeastern Syria and has said it wants to help its neighbour fight extremists.