In a significant diplomatic move, President Donald Trump extended a warm welcome to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the White House on Monday, marking a new chapter in U.S.-Syria relations. This visit symbolizes Syria’s integration into a U.S.-led coalition aimed at combating the Islamic State group, a stark contrast to the country’s previous international isolation.

President al-Sharaa arrived at the White House around late morning, entering through an alternate route on West Executive Avenue, which deviated from the traditional West Wing driveway reserved for visiting foreign dignitaries. This unique entrance set the stage for his closed-door meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office. Following the roughly two-hour session, al-Sharaa emerged to greet a crowd of supporters before departing in his motorcade.

In a statement to the press later that day, President Trump expressed his commitment to supporting Syria’s success within the region, emphasizing its importance to the Middle East. Trump voiced confidence in al-Sharaa’s leadership, stating, “I have confidence that he’ll be able to do the job.”

This visit is historic, as it represents the first time a Syrian head of state has visited the White House since Syria gained independence from France in 1946. The meeting follows the U.S. decision to lift longstanding sanctions against Syria, which were imposed during the reign of the Assad family. Al-Sharaa ascended to power after leading the rebellion that overthrew Bashar Assad last December and has been serving as Syria’s interim leader since January.

President Trump and al-Sharaa had previously met in May during a summit in Saudi Arabia. At that time, Trump described al-Sharaa as a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past, very strong past. Fighter.” This marked the first official engagement between the U.S. and Syria since the year 2000, when President Bill Clinton met with Hafez Assad, Bashar Assad’s father, underscoring the significance of this renewed dialogue.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday’s visit is “part of the president’s efforts in diplomacy to meet with anyone around the world in the pursuit of peace.”

One official with knowledge of the administration’s plans said Syria’s entry into the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group will allow it to work more closely with U.S. forces, although the new Syrian military and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the country’s northeast had already been fighting the group.

Before al-Sharaa’s arrival in the U.S., the United Nations Security Council voted to lift sanctions on the Syrian president and other government officials in a move that the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Mike Waltz, said was a strong sign that Syria is in a new era since the fall of Assad.

Al-Sharaa comes into the meeting with his own priorities. He wants a permanent repeal of sanctions that punished Syria for widespread allegations of human rights abuses by Assad’s government and security forces. While the Caesar Act sanctions are currently waived by Trump, a permanent repeal would require Congress to act.

One option is a proposal from Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, that would end the sanctions without any conditions. The other was drafted by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a hawkish Trump ally who wants to set conditions for a sanctions repeal that would be reviewed every six months.

But advocates argue that any repeal with conditions would prevent companies from investing in Syria because they would fear potentially being sanctioned. Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, likened it to a “hanging shadow that paralyzes any initiatives for our country.”

The Treasury Department said Monday that the Caesar Act waiver was extended for another 180 days.

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Associated Press writers Fatima Hussein and Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.