Interim Syrian President Ahmad el-Chareh speaking in Damascus with U.S. Congressman Cory Mills, a member of the Republican Party, on April 19, 2025. Photo taken from the Syrian presidency’s Telegram account.
Interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa held talks in Damascus with a member of the U.S. Congress, the Syrian presidency said Saturday — the first visit of its kind by an American lawmaker since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December.
Cory Mills, a member of the Republican Party, arrived in Syria on Friday, accompanied by Marlin Stutzman, also a member of President Donald Trump’s party. The new president met with Mills at the presidential palace in Damascus, in the presence of his foreign minister, Assaad al-Shaibani, the presidency said in a statement.
Sharaa came to power on Dec. 8, leading a coalition of Islamist groups, including his own radical group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Shortly afterward, Washington announced it would no longer offer a reward for his arrest, after receiving “positive messages” during the first official visit of American diplomats to Damascus following Assad’s ouster. The new Syrian government is seeking the lifting of international sanctions imposed during Bashar al-Assad’s rule in order to revive the Syrian economy, which has been devastated by 14 years of civil war. However, some countries want to wait and see whether the new authorities will respect human rights.
Syrian Ministerial Delegation in Washington
In January, the United States announced a temporary easing of sanctions so as “not to hinder” the provision of essential services to the population. However, they stated that they would not further ease sanctions unless progress is made on key issues such as the fight against “terrorism.”
Economic sanctions are severely affecting the country, where, according to the U.N., 90% of Syrians live below the poverty line. A Syrian ministerial delegation and the governor of the Central Bank are expected to attend meetings next week in Washington with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, according to two sources close to the participants.
The visit of the two American lawmakers comes as the United States announced Friday the upcoming withdrawal of around a thousand U.S. troops from Syria, deployed in the country to fight jihadists. On the same day, Washington also warned of the risk of “imminent” attacks in Syria, according to a message posted on the website of the U.S. embassy, which has been closed since 2012.
Interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa held talks in Damascus with a member of the U.S. Congress, the Syrian presidency said Saturday — the first visit of its kind by an American lawmaker since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December.Cory Mills, a member of the Republican Party, arrived in Syria on Friday, accompanied by Marlin Stutzman, also a member of President Donald Trump’s party. The new president met with Mills at the presidential palace in Damascus, in the presence of his foreign minister, Assaad al-Shaibani, the presidency said in a statement.Sharaa came to power on Dec. 8, leading a coalition of Islamist groups, including his own radical group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Shortly afterward, Washington announced it would no longer offer a reward for his arrest, after receiving “positive messages” during...
