Barak: Syria is a "laboratory of regional consensus" based on diplomacy
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said on Sunday that Syria had made "remarkable progress" and became a "laboratory of regional consensus" based on diplomacy, a year after Washington lifted sanctions on Damascus.
This came in a blog post by Barak, the day after he received President Ahmed al-Shara in Damascus, where they discussed the developments in Syria and the region, and ways to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries, according to the Syrian presidency.
"More than a year ago, US President Donald Trump met in a visionary meeting with the legitimate president of Saudi Arabia," Barak said on his account on the "X" platform, adding that Trump had opened "a new chapter, announcing the lifting of sanctions to give Syria a chance for greatness."
Barak described the move as "a bold and hopeful gesture for Syria and the region," and continued, "Under the leadership of President Al-Sharia and with the sincere diplomacy of Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, the progress made has been remarkable," considering that the coming opportunities "promise tremendous progress for the Syrian people and lasting stability."
"Syria is now a laboratory for a new regional consensus based on diplomacy, integration, and hope for the entire region," the U.S. envoy concluded.
Syrian-American relations after liberation
Relations between Damascus and Washington witnessed successive developments after the fall of the former Syrian regime, and the main turning point was on May 14, 2025, with the holding of the historic Riyadh summit, which brought together President Ahmed al-Shara and US President Donald Trump, in the presence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as the first direct meeting between the presidents of the two countries in a quarter of a century and paved the way foropening the door to a new political path.
On the same day, the US Treasury Department announced a partial suspension of the Caesar Act for 180 days, in a move that was described as a prelude to opening the way for economic transactions and launching an initial phase of reconstruction.
On May 23, 2025, the US ambassador to Ankara, Thomas Barak, officially announced that he had assumed the duties of the US special envoy to Syria directly commissioned by President Trump, to immediately start coordination channels with the Syrian government, in a clear indication of Washington's seriousness in rebuilding the relationship.
On May 29, 2025, Damascus witnessed the signing of a historic $7 billion energy agreement to rebuild the Syrian electricity sector, with the participation of an international consortium of US, Turkish and Qatari companies, in the largest joint economic project between the two countries in decades.
Two historic visits to the United States
The steps of openness continued with the arrival of President Ahmed al-Sharaa in New York on September 21, 2025 to participate in the work of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, becoming the first Syrian president to address the international organization since 1967, in an event that carried a major political symbolism.
The diplomatic scene was completed on November 8-10, 2025, when President Al-Sharaa made an official visit to Washington, during which he met with officials of the US administration, in the first visit of a Syrian president to the US capital in many decades, which confirmed that the path of rapprochement is no longer just political messages, but has turned into a direct relationship that is being adopted step by step.