Hello and welcome to NewsAft from the BBC World Service.

We're coming to you live from London.

I'm James Menendez.

And we're going to start today with Syria in that remarkable meeting between President Trump

and the Syrian president, Ahmed al-Shara, in Saudi Arabia a little earlier today.

Remarkable because it's the first meeting in a

quarter of a century between leaders of the two countries and because there was a time

where Mr Shara was a sworn enemy of the United States as a jihadist commander affiliated to

al-Qaeda fighting in Iraq in the years after America's invasion. Well, he long ago renounced his past

ideology and has now promised to rebuild Syria as an open and pluralistic country following the

end of the Assad dictatorship. And it's on that basis that President Trump on Tuesday announced

he was lifting U.S. sanctions and today met his Syrian counterpart in Riyadh.

With the support of leaders in this room, we are currently exploring normalizing relations with Syria's new government, as you know,

beginning with my meeting with President Ahmed al-Shara and Secretary Rubia's meeting with the Syrian foreign minister in

Turkey after discussing the situation with Crown Prince Mohammed and President Erdogan of Turkey.

I am also ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria to give them a fresh start.

Lifting sanctions is a complex process.

Some of them are enshrined in U.S. law,

and other countries and the United Nations have their own measures in place.

Nevertheless, Mr. Trump's announcement prompted immediate celebrations on the streets of the capital Damascus.

The feeling is indescribable, unbelievable happiness.

Hopefully, God helps this country and it will be better for everyone.

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