Al-Thawra newspaper: https://thawra.sy/?p=748522
The anticipated visit of President Ahmed al-Sharaa to the United States may well open new doors to a historic phase in the process of rebuilding the Syrian state.
This visit, which combines the importance of its political timing with the anticipated strategic opportunities, represents a crucial turning point in reviving relations between Syria and the international community. It is of paramount importance to the future relationship with the United States, in addition to its role in shaping Syrian foreign policy amidst complex regional and international circumstances.
Timing is undoubtedly a decisive factor in international politics, and President al-Sharaa’s visit to Washington, following his meeting with President Putin and the Russian leadership, and preceding his anticipated trip to China, makes it a pivotal moment.
This sequence confirms that Syria is pursuing multiple strategies that balance the major powers, making Washington the linchpin in every critical move, both past and present. This grants Syria strong credibility in international negotiations on the one hand, and prevents it from faltering and collapsing prematurely on the other.
As the world awaits the repercussions of Syria’s new role on the regional and international stage, President al-Sharaa’s visit to the White House sends a clear message that Syria has begun to establish a new approach based on openness and acting independently of the influences imposed by years of isolation and alignment with specific, narrow blocs.
Therefore, one of the primary priorities of this visit is to reintegrate Syria (in this new era) into the international community with strength.
Despite the significant challenges facing the country in terms of reconstruction, ensuring security and stability, and addressing the needs of the struggling average citizen, Syria’s geopolitical location remains a key factor in making it a major player in the Middle East. By strengthening its relationship with the United States, Syria can build strategic partnerships that guarantee its pivotal position in its regional environment, including ensuring regional security and stability and confronting potential security threats.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to the United States this time adds another dimension to shaping Syrian foreign policy, aiming to build multiple alliances that guarantee Syria’s political and economic stability.
Although the partnership with the United States may be fraught with challenges, Syria’s geopolitical options necessitate this alliance to restore its role in the international system. This requires a delicate balance between understanding American influence and its various channels in the world and the surrounding region, and other regional alliances, and then building upon and networking with them.
The security file is also a fundamental pillar of this visit. Security commitments to ensure the stability of Syria’s surroundings, especially with regard to Israel, will be part of the bilateral discussions with President Trump, whether privately or publicly, and may lead to strategic security understandings that guarantee greater stability in the region for both sides.
Among the most important issues the two presidents will address during this visit is the complex issue of minorities. The Druze, Alawite, and Kurdish communities, who constitute an essential part of the Syrian social fabric, will not be fully integrated in the process of rebuilding the Syrian state without enshrining their rights and ensuring their active participation in the next phase. This is a concern for the United States, and President al-Sharaa is seeking American support in pressuring the various parties to develop more consensual solutions, moving away from the international polarization of different sects, which has begun to disrupt national harmony, stability, and domestic security.
Furthermore, the importance of reinstating Syrian diplomats to the diplomatic corps before the anticipated visit cannot be overlooked. This is a crucial step to neutralize the issue of defected diplomats and to demonstrate Syria’s determination to return to the international arena with its legitimate institutions and to include everyone in the political process.
Moreover, the integration of officers who defected from the regime into the Ministry of Defense represents an important step in building state institutions on national foundations, which strengthens the image of the Syrian government as one capable of uniting and integrating everyone under the umbrella of a single nation. The Kurdish issue remains a major challenge in Syrian relations with both Turkey (as a neighboring and affected state) and the United States (as a sponsor, guide, and influential power). Therefore, engaging with Kurdish forces in general, and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in particular, is the first step towards a just solution to this issue. This solution must guarantee security and stability for Syria and its regional environment, and ensure a stable relationship with Turkey. Such a stable relationship will also positively impact the integration of Kurds into the new political process, in a manner consistent with Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In conclusion, as Syrian Americans, we have a significant role to play in supporting the success of this visit and in strengthening relations with the United States, especially with President Trump, his current team, and the Republican Party.
Throughout the years of the revolution, Syrian Americans have been an integral part of the American social and economic fabric, and a key driver in the White House’s support for the Syrian revolution, both in word and deed. This included imposing sanctions on the Assad regime, which played a significant role in its downfall. Today, their crucial and anticipated role is to lift those sanctions and liberate the future Syria from all the restrictions hindering reconstruction and economic empowerment. This will directly contribute to the lives of Syrian citizens, benefiting them personally and the nation as a whole.
Undoubtedly, Syrian Americans can now serve as a vital link between Syria and the United States. They can promote new Syrian policies, highlight the positive steps taken by the Syrian transitional government, and explain the shortcomings (emphasizing that they are temporary and will be overcome). This will support President al-Sharaa’s efforts to build strategic relations with the world’s superpower, whose influence is key to any decision or stability.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s visit to the United States will represent a crucial turning point in Syria’s political and diplomatic future if it succeeds, and will open up new horizons that cannot be ignored. Perhaps what President Trump has repeatedly stated about his personal admiration for President al-Sharaa’s strong personality can be built upon, so that Syria can regain its natural place in the heart of the world after years of war and isolation, and become a key player and a right-hand man for America in the Middle East and Mediterranean region.
