Syrian President Discusses Meetings with Americans

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad revealed in an interview published on Sunday that meetings are held "from time to time" with the United States, as he seeks to revive his regime after more than a decade of diplomatic isolation. In a televised interview conducted by Abkhaz Foreign Minister Inal Ardzinba at the presidential palace, excerpts of which were published by the official Syrian news agency, Assad stated, "America is currently illegally occupying part of our land, funding terrorism, and supporting Israel, which is also occupying our land." He added, "However, we meet with them from time to time, even though these meetings do not lead us to anything, but everything will change." Assad did not specify the content of these meetings, the level at which they are conducted, or who participates in them. When asked about the possibility of resuming dialogue with the West, the Syrian president pointed out that "there is always hope, even when we know there will be no results, we must try." He further stated, "We must work with them regardless of our negative opinion of them and explain to them that we will not concede our rights, and we will cooperate with them only on the basis of equality." Since the beginning of the conflict, the United States has imposed a series of sanctions on the Syrian government, President Assad, several members of his family, and various ministerial and economic figures in the country. In 2020, a new set of sanctions came into effect under the "Caesar" Act, targeting many members of the Assad family and those close to him.