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Content of the visit: Syrian Foreign Minister in Washington
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A Historic Visit of the Syrian Foreign Minister to Washington and Resumption of Dialogue with the United States
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Shihabi made a historic visit to Washington, during which he met with several members of the U.S. Congress and officials from the Department of the Treasury, following an official invitation from the American side. The Syrian Foreign Ministry stated that the meetings focused on arranging the necessary procedures to responsibly and securely re-establish links between the Syrian economy and the global financial system, while also promoting efforts to combat the financing of terrorism.
As part of the meetings, Shihabi met with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, where they discussed bilateral cooperation, the lifting of restrictions, and U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria. Graham emphasized the importance of giving Syria a chance to build a stable democratic system, noting that this requires its official accession to the international coalition against ISIS and reaching a security agreement with Israel.
The Syrian minister also met with Member of Parliament Joe Wilson, who confirmed that this is the first visit of its kind in 25 years and opens new prospects for fruitful relations. He called for the full abolition of the Caesar Act. Additionally, Shihabi held discussions with Senator Chris Van Hollen on ways to enhance economic cooperation, indicating that there is an opportunity to build a stable democracy in Syria.
The visit occurred at a time when Syria is seeking to discuss the U.S. sanctions policy, including the Caesar Act, which came into effect in June 2020 and imposes restrictions on the activities of the Syrian regime. The visit is considered an important step after more than a quarter of a century since a Syrian foreign minister last visited the United States. The meetings also reached agreements to sign accords with Israel before the end of the year, according to official sources.
