The leader of Syria is set to make history ahead of Thanksgiving as the first president of the country to visit the White House.
Ahmed al Sharaa is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 10, according to Tom Barrack, the U.S. envoy to Syria and U.S. ambassador to Turkey.
The encounter will mark the third meeting between Trump and Sharaa, according to CBS News, and comes weeks after the Syrian leader met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a key ally, in Moscow.
Sharaa rose to power after Bashar Assad, who was internationally condemned and isolated due to concerns he weaponized brutal chemical attacks and other atrocities against citizens, was ousted as Syria’s president last December.
The Trump administration has engaged in talks with the new government in Damascus and relaxed sanctions as it eyes a fresh opportunity to build stability in the Middle East.
In his first-ever meeting with Sharaa during a trip to the Middle East in May, Trump urged the Syrian leader to sign on to the Abraham Accords, which would normalize diplomatic relations with Israel and promote peace in the region.
TRUMP PUSHES FOR ABRAHAM ACCORDS IN MEETING WITH SYRIAN PRESIDENT AHMED AL SHARAA
When warfare broke out between Israel and Syria weeks after the encounter, the Trump administration intervened, mediating a ceasefire between the two countries.
That conflict centered on concerns that Sunni Muslim Bedouin forces linked to Damascus are engaging in deadly violence against the Druze, an ethnoreligious minority group that holds a significant community in Israel.
