US President Donald Trump is to meet Syrian counterpart Ahmad Al Shara as hopes rise of an imminent Washington-brokered security deal between the new Syrian authorities and Israel.
The two leaders will hold "an official meeting soon", after Mr Trump met Mr Al Shara briefly in New York this week, Syrian Foreign Ministry official Qutaiba Idlibi said. They discussed bilateral ties and Mr Shara was introduced to Melania Trump, the US President's wife, Mr Idlibi told Al Araby TV channel. The official Syrian news agency Sana said the meeting took place at a reception hosted by Mr Trump.
The anticipated deal would be the most important diplomatic development in Syria since the downfall of former president Bashar Al Assad, who had abided by a 1974 armistice with Israel.
A Syrian source said Mr Al Shara had travelled to New York "knowing that he has no choice" but to proceed with the security deal, given the need for US support for reconstruction funding and full removal of American sanctions.
"The Americans didn't give Al Shara a visa just to address the UN," the source said. "Trump would not meet him officially again if there is no security deal."
Israel's intervention in July prevented an armed government takeover of the mostly Druze-populated Sweida province in southern Syria to subdue its defiant spiritual leader. In the past two years, Israel has struck hundreds of Syrian military targets, belonging to the old regime, which was an ally of Iran, and the new authorities, dominated by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, a splinter group of Al Qaeda.
Mr Al Shara is participating in the UN General Assembly this week, maintaining his visibility on the world stage, which was boosted by his first meeting with Mr Trump, in Riyadh in May. It started a process of establishing diplomatic relations aimed at bringing Syria into a US anti-terrorism alliance and convincing Mr Al Shara to sign the Abraham Accords.
Syria's President has been forging ties with countries in the region, Europe and even with his old foes Iraq, Russia and China.
The US push was stepped up after the Israeli attacks to defend the Druze of Sweida killed scores of Syrian government troops and allied militia members. One of the Israeli targets was the Syrian army headquarters in central Damascus, which drew loud protests from Turkey, the main backer of the current Syrian government.
Addressing the Concordia summit in New York this week, Mr Al Shara said he hopes that recent Israeli-Syrian talks "will lead us to an agreement that will keep the sovereignty of Syria and also resolve some of the security fears of Israel".
Israel has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since 1967. Its attacks on Hezbollah and other pro-Iranian militia in Syria in the last two years of the previous regime weakened Mr Al Assad considerably and contributed to the swift advance into Damascus by Mr Al Shara and his rebel group at the end of last year.
The US welcomed the collapse of the Assad regime and sent senior diplomats to meet Mr Al Shara less than two weeks after he toppled the former dictator.
