U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will lift long-standing sanctions on Syria that severed the country from the global financial system under toppled former President Bashar al-Assad.

Shara, who once led a branch of Al Qaeda, was the first time in 25 years that the leaders of the United States and Syria had met.

President Donald Trump is in Qatar after he met with Syria’s interim president and inked deals in Saudi Arabia. Follow here for the latest live news updates.

The meeting marks a major turn of events for a Syria still adjusting to life after the over 50-year, iron-gripped rule of the Assad family, and for its new leader, who once had a $10 million U.S.

Turkish companies and banks will benefit from a lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria, Onur Genc, chief executive officer of BBVA said on Wednesday.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa prepared the proposal as a negotiating tactic ahead of a surprise meeting with President Donald Trump.

The Turkish president also said his country was ready to support Damascus in the fight against the Islamic State and in maintaining the security of ISIS camps.

Trade deals are driving the recovery for U.S. stocks with the S&P 500 erasing all of its losses post Liberation Day. President Trump continues his Middle East trip striking partnerships and investments,

Five months after its liberation from the police state of Bashar al-Assad, Syria sometimes looks like a country in civil war. Sectarian clashes have turned into street battles with rockets and mortars.