US ambassador's residence in Syria reopens as Washington looks to mend ties with Damascus

Published on 30/05/2025 - 0:32 GMT+2

An American emblem was raised extracurricular of nan long-shuttered US ambassador’s residence successful Damascus connected Thursday, successful a motion of increasing ties betwixt Washington and nan caller Syrian government.

The US ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, who has besides been appointed arsenic typical envoy to Syria, visited nan capital, Damascus, to inaugurate nan residence.

On his visit, Barrack met pinch Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and attended nan signing of an statement for a consortium of Qatari, Turkish and US companies for improvement of a 5,000-megawatt power task to revitalise overmuch of Syria's war-battered energy grid.

A consortium led by Qatar’s UCC Concession Investments, on pinch Power International USA and Turkey’s Kalyon GES Enerji Yatirimlari and Cengiz Enerji, will create 4 combined-cycle state turbines pinch a full generating capacity estimated astatine astir 4,000 megawatts and a 1,000-megawatt star powerfulness plant.

“Once completed, these projects are expected to proviso complete 50% of nan country's energy needs,” said UCC successful a statement

Washington hasn't formally reopened its embassy successful Damascus, which closed successful 2012 aft protests against nan authorities of ousted longtime President Bashar al-Assad, was met pinch a sadistic crackdown, spiralling nan state into civilian war.

But contempt nan embassy’s doors remaining shuttered, Barrack’s sojourn and nan raising of nan US emblem were a important awesome of warming relations betwixt Damascus and Washington.

Washington was initially wary astir Syria’s caller leaders, led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, nan erstwhile leader of an Islamist insurgent group that nan US still lists arsenic a violent organisation. However, nan Trump administration, encouraged by location friends Saudi Arabia and Turkey, has successful caller weeks shown expanding openness to embracing nan caller Syrian government.

Trump held a astonishment gathering pinch al-Sharaa successful Riyadh earlier this month, arsenic he embarked connected his first circuit of nan Middle East successful his four-month-old 2nd term. After nan trip, nan US begun to rotation backmost decades of sanctions slapped connected Syria nether nan al-Assad dynasty.

Speaking astatine nan ceremonial celebrating nan signing of nan power deals, Barrack praised nan “bold decision” to assistance sanctions and said nan move comes pinch “no conditions, nary requirements."

There is only "one elemental anticipation and that anticipation sits down me, nan alignment of these astonishing countries,” he said, referring to nan flags of nan US, Qatar, Turkey and Syria down him.

The US State Department posted a connection connected X connected Thursday attributed to Trump announcing Barrack's assignment arsenic envoy to Syria.

“Tom understands location is awesome imaginable successful moving pinch Syria to extremity Radicalism, amended Relations, and unafraid Peace successful nan Middle East. Together, we will Make America, and nan World, SAFE AGAIN!” nan connection said.

In response, Barrack praised Trump successful a station connected X for his “bold vision, empowering a historically rich | region, agelong oppressed, to reclaim its destiny done self-determination.”