The transitional president of Syria, Ahmed al Shara, has urged the president of the United States, Donald Trump, to eliminate the sanctions that remain in place on Damascus and has stressed that this gesture is "crucial" to facilitate "the recovery of the Syrian economy and an improvement in the living conditions of its citizens".
According to the Syrian Presidency, Al Shara held a telephone call with Trump in which they examined the state of bilateral relations and the regional scenario, in addition to studying "ways to strengthen joint cooperation to support Syria's stability and contribute to advancing the economic recovery (of the country)".
In a statement released on social media, the Presidency indicated that "the president has highlighted the importance of continued international support during the reconstruction and recovery phase", subsequently stressing that "the removal of remaining sanctions is a crucial step" to progress in this process.
Al Shara added that the lifting of restrictions "will encourage investment" and "create a suitable environment for the return of economic and development projects to various vital sectors", alluding to the need to reactivate key areas of the Syrian economy.
At the same time, the Syrian president has emphasized the need to "prioritize diplomacy and dialogue to improve regional security and peace", while the White House has not yet offered details on the content of the telephone conversation.
In recent weeks, Al Shara had already shown good rapport with Trump by revealing on social media that the occupant of the White House had gifted him with a cologne of his own brand, after he had given him a bottle during his historic visit to the United States in November 2025.
At that meeting, Trump sprayed Al Shara with this cologne and assured him that it is "the best fragrance", in addition to promising to give another bottle to the Syrian leader's wife. "How many wives? One?" he asked, amid Al Shara's laughter, who confirmed he only has one wife. "With you, you never know," Trump concluded, accompanying his words with a friendly pat on the Syrian president's shoulder in front of the cameras.
Trump, who has promoted a diplomatic rapprochement with Syria after the fall of Al Assad, already defined Al Shara in May 2025 as "a tough guy" and "a young and attractive man" with "a firm past," alluding to his years in extremist groups in Syria, especially HTS, an organization considered terrorist by Washington but already removed from said list.