DAMASCUS: Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa has met with a US congressman, the Syrian presidency said on Saturday, the first such visit by an American lawmaker since the overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani was also present at the meeting with Republican Cory Mills at the presidential palace in Damascus, a presidency statement said.
Mills arrived in Syria on Friday along with Marlin Stutzman, another politician from the Republican party of US President Donald Trump. The decision to drop the bounty for Sharaa followed "positive messages" from a first meeting with the new authorities, a senior US diplomat said at the time.
The new government has been pushing for Assad-era sanctions to be lifted to revive Syria's economy and support reconstruction after nearly 14 years of war. Washington has already eased some sanctions on Syria affecting essential services, although it is a temporary measure as the United States and other governments wait to see how the new authorities exercise their power before enacting wider exemptions. — AFP
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