ISTANBUL
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met Monday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City.
The US State Department said the meeting was about US priorities in Syria.
Rubio "underscored this opportunity for Syria to build a stable and sovereign nation following President (Donald) Trump’s historic announcement earlier this year on sanctions relief for the Syrian people," said Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott in a statement.
He said Rubio and al-Sharaa exchanged views on ongoing counterterrorism efforts, the search for missing Americans, "and the importance of Israel-Syria relations in achieving greater regional security."
Al-Sharaa traveled to New York to address the UN General Assembly, marking the first time a Syrian head of state has done so since 1967.
The talks came as Damascus seeks a permanent lifting of US sanctions that remain in effect despite recent easing measures. Much of the sanctions stem from a 2019 US law which sanctioned the Bashar al-Assad government for war crimes during the 13-year civil war.
Trump lifted broad US sanctions on Syria in July following his May meeting with al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia. The Treasury Department announced in August that American companies could resume business with Damascus.
In an interview published Sunday, al-Sharaa praised Trump's decision to lift the sanctions, calling it "quick, courageous and historic."
"We need to discuss a great many issues and mutual interests between Syria and the USA," he said, expressing a willingness to meet Trump again to "restore relations in a good and direct way."
Assad fled to Russia last December, ending the Baath Party regime after 25 years in power. Al-Sharaa's transitional administration was formed in January.