Foreign minister raises Syrian flag above Embassy in Washington for first time in over decade

Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on Friday raised the flag above the Syrian Embassy in Washington, D.C. for the first time in more than a decade

The ceremony drew Syrian-Americans who described the “historic” day for the Syrian people and the beginning of a new chapter in ties, nine months after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

It also comes days before Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is scheduled to travel to New York for the UN General Assembly, which will mark the first visit to the US in 58 years by a Syrian president.

“Of course, it is a historical moment,” Shaibani told Anadolu after the flag-raising ceremony, adding it represents the Syrian people’s struggle during the 14 years of civil war.

Raghad Bushnaq, 55, who has lived in the US since 1989, but is originally from Damascus, called the day “unimaginable.”

“I do remember last time I was here, maybe 15 years ago, the ambassador was taking our pictures from inside to report to Assad. And when I looked at most of my friends, I found them all covering their faces. And now we’re here, happy. It’s a historical moment. You can smell the freedom in Syria,” she told Anadolu.

Bushnaq also expressed gratitude to Türkiye and “all of the countries who helped us and supported us.”

Ameer Alsamman, a Syrian American and founder of the podcast program, Syria Speaks, said the day signaled “the real beginning of a new chapter in US-Syrian relations.”

“Today it’s a new chapter. Hopefully, Damascus and Washington will be working on a much better relationship. And I think this is a sign that things are going in the right direction,” he said.

On the issue of permanently lifting remaining US sanctions on Syria, Alsamman said: “I think a lot of people, of course, want Syria’s sanctions to be removed. I want Syria’s sanctions to be removed. I think a lot of members of Congress do. President Donald Trump has spoken as much. I’m hopeful.”

Shaibani met several lawmakers and senior officials, including US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack. Talks at the State Department covered the future of Syria, Israel-Syria relations, and the March 10 agreement between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), according to the US.

That agreement, announced by the Syrian presidency earlier this year, outlined plans to integrate the SDF into state institutions, stressing the country’s territorial integrity and rejecting any separatist agenda.​​​​​​​

Shaibani arrived in Washington on Thursday, marking the first visit by a Syrian foreign minister to the US in more than 25 years.

The historic visit comes as Damascus seeks to expand diplomatic engagement abroad following years of isolation during the Syrian civil war and following the fall of the Bashar regime.

Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in late 2024, ending the Baath Party’s decades-long grip on power that began in 1963.

A new transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in Syria in January.