Rubio meets Syrian counterpart in latest step towards normalizing relations

Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Thursday in Antalya, Turkey with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, the State Department said. It's the first such meeting in 15 years.Why it matters: It's another step in normalizing relations between the countries after President Trump met President Ahmed al-Sharaa and made the shocking pronouncement that the U.S. would lift its crippling sanctions on the country.The last meeting between top diplomats from the two countries took place in 2010, when then-Secretary Hillary Clinton met her Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem in New York. The Syrian civil war began the next year, and the U.S. shunned the Assad regime.Driving the news: Rubio met his Syrian counterpart bilaterally and also held a trilateral meeting with Al-Shaibani and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Rubio told his Syrian counterpart the Trump administration would start the process of sanctions relief to stabilize Syria, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said. Bruce said Rubio told his Syrian counterpart that he welcomes "the Syrian government's calls for peace with Israel, efforts to end Iran's influence in Syria, commitment to ascertaining the fate of U.S. citizens missing or killed in Syria, and elimination of all chemical weapons."Rubio stressed the Syrian government must protect the human rights of all Syrians regardless of ethnicity or religion.State of play: The Treasury Department said on Thursday that it's working with the State Department and National Security Council to execute Trump's direction to lift sanctions."We look forward to implementing the necessary authorizations that would be critical to bringing new investment into Syria," Treasury said.Rubio said Thursday that Trump is expected to issue presidential waivers removing some of the U.S. sanctions against Syria. Other sanctions on Syria would have to be repealed by Congress, which is likely to take longer.Between the lines: Ahead of the meeting in Antalya, Rubio spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and briefed him on Trump's meeting with al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia.The Trump administration didn't notify Israel in advance of Trump's decision to hold that meeting and lift sanctions on Syria, a source with knowledge said. During his meeting with Trump last month, Netanyahu specifically asked the president not to lift the sanctions and expressed concern about the role Turkey — which wanted the sanctions lifted — plays in Syria, Israeli officials say. Trump disregarded Netanyahu's concerns. He said Tuesday that his decision to lift sanctions was in response to requests by several leaders including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who joined the meeting with al-Sharaa, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who participated remotely.Go deeper: Biden officials "awed" by Trump's rule-breaking Middle East moves

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Rubio says all NATO members will agree at June summit to 5% defense spending over next decade