Sharaa to the White House: What’s on his agenda… challenges and obligations

Syrian Transitional president Ahmed al Sharaa plans to travel to Washington, within the next two weeks for a visit of significant political and security importance.

The visit is expected to include the signing of an agreement for Syria to join the US-led international coalition against ISIS, a move that would reflect a shift in relations between Damascus and Washington.

The visit, which is the first of its kind for a Syrian president to enter the White House, is expected to take place on the 10th of this month.

It comes as part of the US administration’s efforts to support the new Syrian authorities and achieve tangible progress on the Syrian issue, particularly with regard to a possible security agreement between Syria and Israel.

US Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, announced that negotiations between Damascus and Tel Aviv are close to reaching an agreement, indicating that Syria may be on the path to normalizing relations with Israel.

He explained that Sharaa’s visit will be followed by a fifth round of direct negotiations between the two sides, mediated by the US, with the aim of reaching a comprehensive understanding on the borders before the end of the year.

Negotiations had previously stalled during the UN General Assembly meetings last September after Israel added a new clause to the draft agreement concerning the opening of a road linking the occupied territories to the Suwaida Governorate.

The Israeli proposal at the time included dividing southern Syria into three zones: the first encompassing the areas Israel seized after the fall of the previous regime; the second prohibiting any military presence of Damascus; and the third restricting airspace and imposing limitations on Syrian aircraft flying near the border.

At the Manama Dialogue forum held in Bahrain, Barrack affirmed that negotiations were progressing positively, praising the performance of the Syrian delegation.

For his part, the Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad al Shaibani, stated that Sharaa’s visit to Washington would address the issues of lifting sanctions, reconstruction, and combating terrorism, describing the visit as a pivotal moment in the history of Syrian-US relations.

As part of preparations for the Syrian transitional government’s integration into the international coalition, authorities announced the incorporation of the US-trained Free Syria Army (FSA) into the Ministry of Interior’s structure, while maintaining it as an independent unit designated as a counterterrorism force.

This move reflects continued US reliance on this faction given the instability of the Syrian Ministry of Defense’s military formations, which include hardline elements and foreign fighters.

The international coalition has carried out approximately 20 joint operations in recent months, in coordination with the transitional authorities, targeting individuals wanted by Washington.

One of these operations, which took place near the city of Dumayr in the Damascus countryside, resulted in the deaths of three people, including the primary target, who died after being released due to erroneous information.

This incident sparked a tribal crisis whose repercussions are still being felt.

Complex internal issues await resolution: self-governance, minorities, and the economy.

In addition to security issues, the Syrian transitional government faces internal challenges related to the Kurdish self-administration file, the situation of the Suwaida governorate, which now enjoys an independent local administration, in addition to the minorities issue who are subjected to repeated violations in the central and coastal regions.

The economic issue is a top priority for the new government, which seeks to achieve tangible results that will bolster its legitimacy, especially after receiving US support through the easing of sanctions.

Damascus expects a pivotal role from Saudi Arabia in supporting the economy, alongside Türkiye, within the framework of a regional balance that Washington is trying to establish between Riyadh and Ankara.