Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with Rep. Cory Mills in Damascus on Saturday, according to Syrian state media SANA.
This is the first meeting between al-Sharaa and a US member of Congress since he became the transitional president of Syria in late January. Al-Sharaa has been traveling in the region recently, including Turkey, the UAE, and Qatar, to shore up support for his new government.
Al-Sharaa has been traveling in the region recently to shore up support for Syria’s new government, including Turkey, the UAE, and Qatar.
The Republican member of Congress from Florida also met with Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani. The move comes as reports indicate Shaibani may visit the US soon. This would be a major step as Syria seeks to get relief from sanctions and open a new chapter in ties with Washington. Al-Sharaa has also been named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people of 2025.
Mills visited Syria along with Republican Indiana Rep. Marlin Stutzman. They were accompanied by members of the Syrian community of the US, reports said.
It is not an official trip, according to reports, but it has major ramifications. NBC noted that Mills and Stutzman met Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, “a Syrian-American Christian prelate serving as the Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Damascus, Syria, on Friday.”
NBC noted, “Two Republican members of the US Congress were in the Syrian capital Friday on an unofficial visit organized by a Syrian-American nonprofit, the first by US legislators since the fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December.”
In addition, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with Al-Sharaa on Friday.
Syria needs to rebuild
NBC noted that Mills sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and that he told The Associated Press it was “very important to come here to be able to see it for myself, to be with various governmental bodies, to look at the needs of the Syrian people, to look at the needs for the nation for stability.”
The American media outlet noted that “Mills said he expected discussions with al-Sharaa to include the issue of sanctions, as well as the government’s priorities and the need for the transitional administration to move toward a ‘democratically elected society.’” He added, “Ultimately, it’s going to be the president’s decision.” This could pave the way for more engagement with the Trump administration.
US President Donald Trump recently hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump has warm ties with Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Israeli officials have supported attacks on Syria recently against former Assad regime military sites. Some officials in Israel have called al-Sharaa an extremist and jihadist. They also claim Turkey is now an emerging threat in Syria. Trump has offered to mediate with Turkey.
US members of Congress going to Damascus may now send a message to Israel that more bombing in Syria is not necessary. Also, Syria needs to rebuild after 14 years of civil war. Stutzman and Mills visited the Damascus neighborhood of Jobar; they also visited a synagogue and a Christian neighborhood.