Trump’s goal is to empower current government in Syria: US envoy

US envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack told Al Arabiya on Thursday that President Donald Trump’s goal is to empower the current government in Syria, adding that Trump will soon declare Syria as a state that does not sponsor terrorism.

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Speaking from Damascus where he raised the American flag over the ambassador’s residence for the first time since the embassy closed in 2012, Barrack said that Trump’s vision is to give the new the government a chance without interference.

He added that the Congress supports the president’s steps towards Syria.

Barrack was appointed as Syria envoy after Trump announced from Saudi Arabia earlier this month that he was going to lift sanctions that were imposed on Damascus.

The day after his announcement, Trump met with Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh in the presence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The US officially issued a sanctions waiver for Syria last week.

After the waiver announcement was made, Barrack met with al-Sharaa and Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Turkey’s Istanbul.

With regards to relations between Syria and Israel, Barrack said that “Syria and Israel is a solvable problem, but it starts with a dialogue,” suggesting it should commence with a non-aggression agreement and a definition of borders and boundaries.

The US envoy also touched on the fight against ISIS in Syria saying that Trump wants to to eliminate the extremist group in Syria once and for all. He also noted that the US military has accomplished 99 percent of its mission to fight ISIS.

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