After Removing His Name from the Terror List.. Al-Shara Meets Trump at the White House

SadaNews - In an unprecedented event since Syria's independence in 1946, Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara will hold official talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, just days after Washington's decision to remove his name from the terrorism list.

This meeting is considered a historic step, coming less than a year after al-Shara ascended to power following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad on December 8, and after his transformation from a former leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which emerged from the Nusra Front, into a head of state seeking to turn a new page and open up to the West.

Diplomatic sources have indicated that the visit may culminate in signing an agreement for Syria to join the international coalition against ISIS, as part of a U.S. plan to reintegrate Damascus into the international system and establish an American base near the Syrian capital to coordinate humanitarian aid and monitor regional conditions.

The U.S. State Department justified al-Shara's removal from the blacklist by citing "the progress shown by the new Syrian leadership in security and humanitarian cooperation," confirming that Damascus has disposed of chemical weapons and cooperated on matters concerning missing Americans.

At the same time, the Syrian government is striving to garner international support for financing reconstruction projects, which the World Bank has estimated at more than $216 billion, while continuing to carry out extensive security operations against ISIS cells in various provinces.

Observers believe that the visit represents a crucial diplomatic turning point, reflecting al-Shara's transition from a military leader to a statesman trying to reshape Syria's role in the international arena after more than a decade of war and isolation.