(MENAFN- Live Mint) US President Donald Trump recently welcomed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House - and social media can't stop talking about it. The buzz isn't just about Al-Sharaa's historic visit, which comes amid a US pause on sanctions and marks the first by a Syrian leader since the nation's independence from France in 1946 - but about how Trump welcomed him.

Reacting to the meet, one netizen joked,“if he tried something like that with Putin he'd be tackled to the floor, lights out lol.”

A video clip of the meeting that has since gone viral shows Donald Trump spraying perfume on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa - a gift he personally handed him. Trump also gifted Al-Sharaa another bottle – for his wife – before asking, 'how many wives' the Syrian president has.

Who is Syria's President, Ahmed al-Sharaa?

Ahmed al-Sharaa – the Syrian president, was once a top Al-Qaeda commander – who had been branded as a terrorist by the US and carried a $10 million bounty on his head. On Monday, 10 November, al-Sharaa stood beside Trump at the White House, as the two men smiled for the cameras.

Al-Sharaa, 43, came to power last year after Bashar al-Assad was ousted. Assad and his family fled to Russia in December after rebel forces overthrew his regime, ending a brutal 13-year civil war that began with pro-democracy protests and was met with violent crackdowns. The conflict drew in multiple foreign powers, including Russia, Iran, the US and Turkey.

US sanctions on Syria

The Syrian president's visit to Washington comes as the US extended its pause on sanctions on Syria for another 180 days. Earlier, a US official confirmed that Syria had agreed to join the fight against the Islamic State, detailing plans on condition of anonymity ahead of a formal announcement.

Although the Caesar Act sanctions are currently waived by Trump, a permanent repeal would require Congress to act.

What did Trump and Syria's president discuss?

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa secured additional sanctions relief and pledged to join a US-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State as he met with Trump at the White House, reported Bloomberg.

Without delving into details, Trump said further announcements regarding Syria were forthcoming.

Also Read | Islamic State rises again in Syria, filling a void left by US

During their talks, Al-Sharaa presented Trump with replicas of ancient Syrian artefacts - what he described as“the first alphabet in history, the first stamp in history, the first musical note, and the first customs tariff.”

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