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Syrian FM raises flag over embassy in Washington, first time in decade

20 September 2025 09:42 (UTC +04:00)

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani raised his country’s flag over the embassy building in the US capital Washington on Friday, expressing Damascus’s hope for the lifting of all sanctions on Syria, including the “Caesar Act,” APA reports, citing Al Arabiya.

On Thursday, al-Shibani met in Washington with a number of officials at the US Treasury Department, in the presence of the US special envoy for Syria, Thomas Barrack.

During the meeting, discussions focused on ways to responsibly and safely reconnect the Syrian economy to the global financial system, in a manner that ensures strengthening joint efforts to combat terrorism financing. The meeting came as part of the Syrian foreign minister’s visit to the United States to hold extensive talks.

Al-Shibani also met with a number of members of Congress to discuss bilateral relations and the lifting of US sanctions imposed on Syria.

The administration of US President Donald Trump issued temporary exemptions from these sanctions, but their full repeal requires a vote in Congress.

In 2019, during Trump’s first term as US president, the “Caesar Act” was signed into law, imposing sanctions on the Syrian military and other individuals responsible for atrocities committed during the civil war.