Syria’s FM meets U.S. officials in New York to seek sanctions relief
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Asaad al-Shaibani, met on Tuesday evening with senior officials from the U.S. Department of State in New York, seeking a concrete roadmap from Washington for the permanent easing of sanctions, according to a report by Reuters.
Citing two informed sources, Reuters reported that the meeting marks the first direct encounter between al-Shaibani and American officials on U.S. territory.
One source suggested that among the officials he met may have been Dorothy Shea, acting U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
On Tuesday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed that some representatives of the Syrian transitional government were in New York for U.N. meetings but declined to confirm any high-level meetings with U.S. officials.
“We continue to assess our Syria policy cautiously and will judge the interim authorities by their actions,” she said. “We are not normalizing diplomatic relations with Syria at this time, and I can preview nothing for you regarding any meetings.”
The meeting comes after Syria responded earlier this month to a list of conditions presented by Washington as potential criteria for easing certain aspects of the sanctions.
According to Reuters, one of the sources emphasized that Damascus is eager to receive a realistic roadmap from the United States for permanent sanctions relief, including a feasible timeline for meeting Washington’s demands.
Al-Shaibani is currently in the United States to attend meetings at the United Nations, where the three-starred flag associated with the Syrian revolution was raised as the official Syrian flag for the first time in 14 years.