(MENAFN) Syria's newly appointed President Ahmad al-Sharaa conducted diplomatic discussions Monday with Washington's Syria envoy Thomas Barrack, focusing on regional tensions and shared strategic interests, according to official statements.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani attended the high-level meeting in the capital, the Syrian presidency confirmed via a post on X, the social media platform.

Authorities declined to divulge specifics regarding the substance of the conversations, though the diplomatic engagement unfolds against a backdrop of intensifying regional negotiations on Syria's future and persistent volatility throughout the Middle East.

The encounter marks a significant moment following the dramatic collapse of Bashar al-Assad's rule—Syria's autocrat for nearly a quarter-century who escaped to Russia this past December. His departure terminated the Baath Party's six-decade grip on power, which had controlled the nation since 1963. Sharaa's interim governing body assumed authority in January, ushering in a transitional period for the war-torn nation.

The diplomatic outreach signals potential shifts in Syria's international standing as the transitional government seeks legitimacy and navigates complex geopolitical challenges.

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