US Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack hailed on Sunday the “remarkable” progress that has been achieved in Syria over the past year.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa received the envoy in Damascus on Sunday after which Barrack said: “Syria is now a laboratory for a new regional alignment of diplomacy, integration and hope for the entire region.”
“Just over a year ago, President Donald Trump’s visionary meeting with President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia opened a new chapter — announcing the lifting of sanctions to 'give Syria a chance at greatness',” he added in a post on X.
“Under President al-Sharaa’s leadership and with the dedicated diplomacy of Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, the progress achieved has been remarkable. The opportunities ahead promise exponential advancement for the Syrian people and lasting stability,” Barrack stressed.
Sharaa and Barrack discussed developments in Syria and the region and means to bolster economic cooperation with the US, said the Syrian presidency.
The Anadolu news agency said Barrack’s post reflects a positive American assessment of post-sanctions Syria. It underscores a radical change in American foreign policy towards Damascus.
On Thursday, Commander of the US Central Command Brad Cooper said Syria’s security is tied to US national security.
Speaking before the Senate Committee on Armed Services on the posture of the CENTCOM, he said: “The enduring defeat of ISIS is a core US national interest, for which Syria is our center of gravity.”
“We continue to pragmatically engage the Syrian government to advance a dignified settlement in the post-Assad era and a peaceful fresh start for Syria,” he added.
CENTCOM continues to actively target ISIS and pragmatically expand collaboration with the Syrian government, he continued.
While Damascus officially joined the Global anti-ISIS Coalition in November of last year, “large parts of Syria remain under marginal state control. Limited external assistance is still critical to prevent ISIS reconstitution,” he remarked.
“A stable security environment there is essential to maintain pressure on ISIS, as the group is waiting to exploit blind spots while attention is focused elsewhere. A breakdown of order or return to civil war would provide breathing room for the group to reconstitute,” Cooper warned.
