Damascus, SANA – Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, held Friday a phone call with his American counterpart, Mr. Marco Rubio, in which they discussed a number of issues of common interest, most notably US sanctions, the chemical weapons issue, Iranian interference, the fight against ISIS, Israeli violations, and bilateral diplomatic relations.
Minister al-Shaibani stressed that Syria looks forward to working with the United States to lift sanctions, most notably the Caesar Act. There was also talk about the Syrian President’s participation in the UN General Assembly meetings, and both sides emphasized that the continuation of the Caesar Act restricts the ability of companies and investors to engage economically in Syria in the long term.
For his part, Mr. Rubio confirmed during the call that the US administration continues to implement President Donald Trump’s directives to lift sanctions imposed on Syria, including working with Congress to repeal the Caesar Act in the coming months. He also considered Trump’s decision on Syria a historic decision that would reshape the future of Syria and the region.
In the context of bilateral cooperation, the two sides announced joint coordination to establish a special committee on the chemical weapons issue, in which both countries would participate.
Regarding the Iranian threat in Syria, Damascus expressed its growing concern about Iran’s attempts to interfere in Syrian affairs, especially in the wake of the recent strikes against Tehran, which the United States shared, warning that Iran, despite its current preoccupations, will not stop seeking to change the balance of power within Syria.
In the counter-terrorism file, the two parties confirmed that ISIS still poses an actual threat, especially after the terrorist attack that targeted St. Elias Church in Damascus recently, noting that the attack was one of dozens of attacks that the Syrian security forces were able to thwart during the past months, and Washington emphasized that ISIS currently represents the greatest threat to the Syrian government and expressed its commitment to sharing intelligence and building Syrian capabilities in this area.
The two sides also discussed the repeated Israeli attacks on southern Syria. Mr. Al-Shaibani expressed Syria’s aspiration to cooperate with the United States to return to the 1974 disengagement agreement, and his American counterpart, Mr.Rubio emphasized that the worst thing the region could witness is the division of Syria or its return to civil war.
At the conclusion of the call, the United States expressed its desire to reopen its embassy in Damascus, extending an official invitation to the Syrian Foreign Minister to visit Washington as soon as possible, in a step that confirms a tangible shift toward resuming diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Noura / Fedaa
