New York, Sept. 23 -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa "on US priorities in Syria" on Monday (local time).

Rubio "underscored this opportunity for Syria to build a stable and sovereign nation following President Donald Trump's historic announcement earlier this year on sanctions relief for the Syrian people," Principal Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department Tommy Pigott said.

They discussed ongoing counterterrorism efforts, efforts to locate missing Americans, and the importance of Israel-Syria relations in achieving greater regional security, according to a readout of their meeting.

Rubio and al-Sharara met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York where the latter will ...