US grants visa to Syria’s transitional president ahead of UN General Assembly
Shafaq News – Damascus
The United States has issued a visa for Syria’s transitional president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Syrian political and diplomatic sources told Shafaq News on Tuesday.
Al-Sharaa will travel with Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and Syria’s newly appointed UN envoy, Ibrahim al-Alabi, according to the sources.
Preparations are underway for al-Sharaa to meet US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the assembly. Their last encounter took place in Riyadh in May 2025 under the auspices of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in a bid to restore trust between Washington and Damascus.
Al-Sharaa is also expected to visit the “Turkish House” in New York with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
This will be the first appearance by a Syrian head of state at the General Assembly since 1967, when then-president Nureddin al-Atassi addressed the forum. In subsequent years, Syria was represented by foreign ministers or permanent envoys.
The 80th session of the General Assembly opens Tuesday under the theme: “Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.”
