Reuters. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Monday (September 22) on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Sharaa, a former al Qaeda leader, led rebel forces that overthrew Bashar al-Assad's government last year. U.S. President Donald Trump met him in Riyadh in May and ordered most sanctions lifted but the legislation authorizing them remains U.S. law.
Speaking at a summit on the sidelines of the General Assembly, Sharaa said the sanctions imposed on the previous Syrian leadership were no longer justified and were increasingly seen by Syrians as measures targeting them directly.
Sharaa, the first Syrian president to participate in the General Assembly since 1967, is expected to deliver his first address at the General Assembly, which opens its 80th session on Tuesday.
