A first in 15 years, Rubio to meet Syria’s FM in Turkey: What to know
A landmark meeting in Antalya follows Trump’s surprise decision to lift Syria sanctions, handing Ankara a diplomatic victory.
ANKARA — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet with Syria’s foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, in Turkey’s Mediterranean province of Antalya on Thursday in what will be the first meeting between the two countries' top diplomats in nearly 15 years.
US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday in Riyadh that the United States would be lifting sanctions on Syria and that Rubio would meet with Shaibani in Turkey. Rubio, who is accompanying Trump in Saudi Arabia, is expected to travel to Antalya on Wednesday for a NATO summit.
The Rubio-Shaibani meeting is expected to take place in Antalya, a Turkish diplomatic source speaking on condition of anonymity told Al-Monitor.
"We are pleased to be hosting the meeting on the occasion of the Informal Meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers," the source said. “Our efforts aiming to intensify contacts between the United States and Syria will continue.”
