Syria

Since Trump began lifting sanctions in May, no time has been wasted. US investment delegations have been flocking to Damascus, and security cooperation has already started.

On Monday, the Syrian president shook hands with Trump at the White House. Speaking to Al Majalla, a former State Department official explains why this is a moment she could have never imagined.

In what could be a historic turning point in US-Syria relations, the new government in Damascus will likely join the international coalition against the Islamic State (IS)

Ahmed al-Sharaa will be the first Syrian president to be welcomed at the White House on Monday. From Nixon to Clinton, Al Majalla looks back at official encounters between the two states since 1945.

After 54 years in exile, a prominent Syrian novelist returns to a Damascus he no longer recognises 

The Adana Agreement defused a crisis in 1998 on the brink of a military confrontation. As revision talks are underway, Al Majalla reexamines the agreement.

Damascus has already taken steps towards this end, but international support will still be vital. It can also draw on relevant elements from Iraq's governing model.

In Moscow, Syria's new president said he wants to restore and redefine relations with Russia—a former foe. But is this a genuine olive branch or a message to Washington?

Al Majalla spoke to natives of both sides of the river in Syria's divided, oil-rich province Deir ez-Zor over a period of several months to understand whether more conflict might be in the offing