US President Donald Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh ahead of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit.

Axar.az reports, citing Al Arabiya, Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of all sanctions on Syria at the behest of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in a huge boost for al-Sharaa as he seeks to stabilize a country shattered by war.

Trump made the surprise announcement during a regional tour that began in Saudi Arabia.

The United States imposed tough sanctions on Syria during the rule of Bashar al-Assad, and had kept them in place since he was toppled from power in December after more than 13 years of war.

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Donald Trump has said that lifting sanctions on Syria “gives them a chance of greatness”.

“The sanctions were really crippling, very powerful,” he added. He said the US will drop “all of the sanctions on Syria, which I think will be a good thing.” He also stated that he is looking to normalise relations with Syira.

President Trump’s meeting with President Ahmad al-Shara of Syria lasted 33 minutes.

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Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan met online with Donald Trump, Mohammed bin Salman and Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa.

He has said Donald Turmp’s decision to lift sanctions on Syria is of historic importance.