20.12.2024 08:20
According to a claim in the U.S. press, Barbara Leaf, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, is expected to visit the Syrian capital, Damascus, in the coming days to engage in talks with the transitional government. Leaf will be the first U.S. official to visit Damascus since the fall of the Baath regime on December 8.
As the echoes of the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria continue, a claim has emerged from the US press. The Axios news site reported that Leaf will visit Damascus for talks "in the coming days."
DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT
It was stated that Leaf's visit is part of the "diplomatic engagement" of the US with the transitional government in Syria following the overthrow of the Assad regime.
WILL BE THE FIRST US OFFICIAL
According to the report based on two unnamed US officials, no information was provided about Leaf's meetings. Leaf will be the first US official to visit Damascus since the fall of the Baath regime on December 8. There has been no statement from the Washington administration regarding Axios's report yet.
BLINKEN HAD SIGNALLED
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that they are following the positive statements made by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) so far and that they want to see concrete steps, adding that if concrete steps are taken, they could send US officials to Syria for direct talks.