PNN – Republican US Congressman Corey Mills revealed the details of his meeting with Ahmed al-Sharaa, known as Abu Muhammad al-Julani, the head of the Syrian interim government, in Damascus, and claimed that al-Julani had expressed his readiness to improve relations with the Israeli regime.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, citing the Arab 21 news site, Mills, who traveled to Syria last week with another US congresswoman, Marilyn Statzman, said: Ahmed Sharia has expressed a desire to improve relations with Israel.
The US Congressman added that Ahmed Sharia emphasized in this meeting his readiness to work to prevent the transfer of weapons through Syria to attack Israel.
The remarks by a member of the US Congressional Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committee came after reports emerged that the US had presented a list of eight conditions for lifting some of the sanctions imposed on Syria during the time of Bashar al-Assad.
Arabi 21 quoted the Washington Post as saying: This list calls on the Syrian government to issue an official statement, banning all activities of Palestinian militias and political groups on Syrian soil, and expelling members of these groups.
According to Mills, a Republican congressman close to Trump, the head of the Syrian interim government wants to maintain stability in Damascus’ relations with all of Syria’s neighbors.
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In this regard, Mills told Bloomberg News in separate statements that he called on Sharia to ensure the destruction of any chemical weapons left over from the Assad era and to coordinate in the fight against terrorism.
The US congressman stated that during the negotiations with Sharia, ways to achieve peace with Israel were discussed, and emphasized that the head of the interim Syrian government must provide guarantees to Israel.
Mills, a Florida representative and member of the Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committee in Congress, and Marlene Statzman, a representative from Indiana in the US House of Representatives, traveled to Damascus last week to meet with Gulani and other officials of the Syrian interim government.
Bloomberg reported that Mills discussed Western economic sanctions against Syria and reconciliation between Syria and Israel during his meeting with Golani.
According to the report, Mills, who is close to Trump, plans to report on the results of the trip to the US President and his national security adviser, Mike Waltz. Mills is also carrying Golani’s letter to Trump.
Previously, the United States had listed al-Julani, the commander of the armed opposition group Tahrir al-Sham and the commander of the Syrian Military Operations Directorate, as a terrorist and had set a $10 million reward for his capture.
Armed opposition groups in Syria began their operations in the northwest, west, and southwest regions of Aleppo on November 27, 2024, with the aim of removing Bashar al-Assad from power. Finally, after 11 days, they announced their control over the city of Damascus and Assad’s departure from the country.