Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani met with US Rep. Cory Mills on Saturday, according to Syrian state media. The Florida Republican also met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The visit by Mills, one of two US congressmen in Damascus, along with Indiana Republican Rep. Marlin Stutzman, is very significant.
According to Syria’s state media, “Asaad al-Shaibani met Saturday with US Congressman Mr. Cory Lee Mills in Damascus, where they held extensive discussions on the evolving security and economic situations in the Syrian Arab Republic.” The meeting “explored prospects for building a strategic partnership between Damascus and Washington based on mutual respect and shared interests,” SANA added.
In addition, the two men talked about “common threats facing both countries and the region, including cross-border militias, drug trafficking, and organized crime, emphasizing the need for joint efforts to confront these challenges within an international framework grounded in international law and state sovereignty.”
These are important conversations because the new Syrian government wants to engage with the United States and its Western allies. The Syrian government has reached out to the US and European countries since coming to power after the fall of the Assad regime.
In late January, Sharaa became interim president, and in late March, the government announced two dozen new ministers to lead the country. Around half the ministers have links to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group Sharaa led before becoming president.
HTS was previously seen as an extremist group with ties to terrorism, but the new government has done much to try to allay those fears. The new ministers include one woman, a Druze, a Kurd, and an Alawite.
The significance of the meeting
The visit by the two US members of Congress is a major step forward. SANA said that “discussions also touched on the impact of unilateral US sanctions imposed on Syria, which directly affect the lives of Syrian citizens and vital sectors such as health, education, and energy.”
The report further explained, “The Syrian side stressed the importance of lifting these illegal measures as a fundamental step toward building trust and engaging in constructive cooperation.”
Syria is trying to stabilize and unify itself. The US has forces there, including in eastern Syria backing the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and in Tanf in southern Syria. The US is withdrawing some forces from eastern Syria and trying to help pave the way for the SDF and the new government to work together.
SANA highlighted that “Minister al-Shaibani reaffirmed Syria’s openness to responsible and serious dialogue with all international parties, including the United States, on the basis of mutual interests and respect. He reiterated Syria’s steadfast position in supporting any efforts that benefit the Syrian people and strengthen their sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
It was not clear why only Mills held meetings with Sharaa and Shaibani.
Congressman Stutzman on Saturday posted photos of the ruins in parts of the Syrian capital from 14 years of war. “Images from war-torn Damascus. While the city may be in ruins, the freedom-loving spirit of the Syrian people will never be broken,” he wrote.
Attempting to 'make Syria great again'
Stutzman also posted a video at night from Mt. Qasioun, overlooking Damascus. “Part of making Syria great again is transforming former places of war and devastation to places where families can feel safe. This mountain is one example,” he wrote. He discussed how the Assad regime had caused destruction in Damascus during the war. Stutzman appeared to channel US President Donald Trump by noting that Syria can be made “great again.”
Both congressmen are Republicans. Stutzman served in Congress from 2010 to 2016 and returned in 2025.
Before being elected in 2023, Mills served in the US 82nd Airborne Division. “He served with the 82nd Airborne Division and Joint Special Operations Command. While serving abroad, he was struck twice in 2006, once with an improvised explosive device and once with an Iranian explosively formed projectile, which resulted in numerous casualties,” Mills’ congressional website notes.
It also mentions that Mills helped American citizens after October 7 and came to Israel in the wake of the attack to assist Americans in returning “safely home to the US.”