A senior US diplomat told Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa on Friday that Washington was scrapping a reward for his arrest and welcomed "positive messages" from their talks, including a promise to fight terrorism.
Barbara Leaf, Washington's top diplomat for the Middle East, made the comments after her meeting with Sharaa in Damascus, the first formal mission to Syria's capital by United States diplomats since the early days of Syria's civil war.
The lightning offensive that toppled president Bashar al-Assad on December 8 was led by the Islamist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is rooted in Al-Qaeda's Syria branch but has sought to moderate its image in recent years.
Leaf's meeting with HTS chief Sharaa came despite Washington's designation of his group as a terrorist organization.
"Based on our discussion, I told him we would not be pursuing the Rewards for Justice reward offer that has been in effect for some years," Leaf told reporters after their talks.
She said, "We welcomed positive messages" from Sharaa.
"We will be looking for progress on these principles and actions, not just words," she said.
"I also communicated the importance of inclusion and broad consultation during this time of transition," she said.
"We fully support a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process that results in an inclusive and representative government that respects the rights of all Syrians, including women, and Syria's diverse ethnic and religious communities."
The United States agreed on those principles with top Arab and European diplomats as well as Turkey during a meeting on December 14 in Aqaba, Jordan.
A Syrian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, earlier confirmed to AFP that the US delegation had met with Sharaa.
"The meeting took place, and it was positive. And the results will be positive, God willing," the official said.
The US delegation also included the US pointman on hostages, who has been seeking clues on missing Americans, including Austin Tice, a journalist kidnapped in Syria in August 2012.
On Friday, the US embassy added on the social media platform X that the US and Syrian sides also discussed "regional events, Syria's intention to be a good neighbor, and the importance of common efforts on terrorism."
With AFP
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