Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House for unprecedented talks just days after the US removed him from a terrorism blacklist.

President Donald Trump welcomed Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa after lifting sanctions imposed on Syria, which had been a pariah state for decades before rebel forces toppled Syrian President Bashar Assad last December.

Nov. 10 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump halted most of the Caesar Act sanctions on Syria for 180 days after meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa Monday in the White House.

The visit by President Ahmed al-Shara is another step in the transformation of the former rebel leader once wanted by the United States as a terrorist.

Al-Sharaa is the first Syrian leader to visit the White House since the country gained independence from France in 1946.

Both the arrival and the meeting of the Syrian president were taking place behind closed doors without the media present. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's White House meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday caps a stunning year for the rebel-turned-ruler who toppled a longtime autocratic leader and has since toured the world as he seeks to end Syria's international isolation.

Trump hosts Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa at White House amid government shutdown, marking first official Syrian leader visit to Washington in years.