Trump meets Al-Sharaa in Saudi capital

KABUL (Pajhwok): US President Donald Trump met his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, says a media report.

Trump praised Gulf countries for creating “a stable, peaceful and prosperous Middle East”, as he joined regional leaders for a summit of US and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members in Riyadh, Al Jazeera reported.

Trump met Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the GCC-US summit. This came a day after the US president announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria, prompting jubilation in Damascus.

Riyadh and Washington signed a $142bn defence sales agreement as part of a Saudi Arabian commitment to invest $600bn in the United States.

Trump’s four-day visit to the Gulf region continues on Wednesday with a trip to Qatar before he travels to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.

In the wake of last year’s ouster of the Bashar Al Assad government, the US says it plans to lift sanctions on Syria.

Trump’s announcement is seen as a major win for the incumbent Syrian administration led by Ahmed al-Sharaa.

sa/mud