President al-Sharaa ends New York visit with investment, recovery push
President Ahmad al-Sharaa concluded a visit to New York centered on diplomatic contacts and investment discussions, while Syria’s delegation presented proposals for reconstruction and the return of displaced people on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly.
President Al-Sharaa addressed the General Assembly and met members of the U.S. Congress to discuss bilateral relations, developments in Syria and regional issues. The lawmakers expressed support for Syria’s unity, sovereignty and recovery efforts, according to SANA. He also met U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq Thomas Barrack and joined a meeting hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump with Arab and Muslim leaders on regional developments.
Diplomatic meetings
President Al-Sharaa met European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to discuss Syria-EU relations, reconstruction and development cooperation. Their talks also addressed Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He separately met French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.
The president held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on coordination and economic cooperation, and met Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah on bilateral and regional issues. He also met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss cooperation and held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Foreign and Expatriates Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on bilateral relations and regional and international issues. Al-Shaibani also held talks with officials from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Britain, Armenia, Croatia and Germany, as well as EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
Investment and recovery
President Al-Sharaa held a roundtable with members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and representatives of major American companies on investment opportunities in Syria’s energy, technology, healthcare and banking sectors. The talks followed earlier economic contacts in Damascus.
Members of the Syrian delegation also met European and UN officials on economic recovery, reconstruction and development cooperation, and participated in events addressing crisis management and peacebuilding.
Emergency and Disaster Management Minister Raed al-Saleh presented Syria’s approach to ending reliance on displacement camps by restoring services and living conditions. He said returns should be voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable.
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