In UN spotlight, Syria’s Sharaa meets Rubio in New York
Ahmed al-Sharaa is set to become the first Syrian president since 1967 to address the annual United Nations summit.
NEW YORK CITY — Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday held talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa ahead of the Syrian leader’s historic appearance at the United Nations General Assembly this week, marking the first time in almost 60 years that a Syrian head of state will take the world stage in New York.
Sharaa, a former rebel leader once allied with al-Qaeda, became Syria’s president after leading the offensive in December that brought down the brutal regime of Bashar al-Assad and ended nearly 14 years of civil war.
Sharaa and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met with Rubio at the Lotte Palace Hotel in midtown Manhattan, where they discussed counterterrorism, missing Americans in Syria and relations with Israel, according to a US readout of the meeting.
Rubio “underscored this opportunity for Syria to build a stable and sovereign nation following President Trump’s historic announcement earlier this year on sanctions relief for the Syrian people,” the statement said.
