10 November 05:11
International
Saudi Royal Palace / AP / Profimedia
On Monday, Donald Trump will have a historic meeting with Ahmad al-Sharaa, the interim president of Syria, at the White House, the first of its kind since Syria's independence in 1946. Al-Sharaa, who took power after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, has arrived in Washington to discuss economic cooperation with the IMF and to secure funding for the country's reconstruction, estimated at 216 billion dollars. During the visit, Syria will sign an agreement to join the international anti-jihadist coalition led by the US, and the United States intends to establish a military base near Damascus. This meeting is considered a new chapter in American policy in the Middle East, given that the Syrian leader has been removed from the terrorist blacklist and has begun openings towards the West. Al-Sharaa is seeking Trump's support to unlock necessary funds for reconstruction and to negotiate a security agreement with Israel.