ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The US State Department on Friday announced that it has removed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa from its list of "Specially Designated Global Terrorists," coming as Sharaa is set to visit US President Donald Trump in the White House on Monday, becoming the first-ever Syrian head of state to enter the Oval Office.

"Today, the [US Secretary of State Marco Rubio] is delisting Syrian President al-Sharaa–who is listed under the name Muhammad al-Jawlani—as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) pursuant to E.O. 13224," State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott announced. "These actions are being taken in recognition of the progress demonstrated by the Syrian leadership after the departure of Bashar al-Assad and more than 50 years of repression under the Assad regime."

"This new Syrian government, led by President al-Sharaa, is working hard to locate missing Americans, fulfill its commitments on countering terrorism and narcotics, eliminating any remnants of chemical weapons, and promoting regional security and stability as well as an inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process," Pigott concluded. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday confirmed the Syrian leader's upcoming visit, adding that "when [Trump] was in the Middle East, he made the historic decision to lift sanctions on Syria to give them a real chance at peace, and I think the administration, we’ve seen good progress on that front under their new leadership."

Trump first met with the Syrian leader in Riyadh in May, marking a seminal moment in Damascus' international posture following the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad in December by Sharaa's Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) forces. The meeting came one day after Trump made a landmark decision to remove all sanctions on Syria in order to give them "a chance at greatness."

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in early November described Sharaa's upcoming Washington visit as "historic," adding that "many topics will be discussed, starting with the lifting of sanctions," Shaibani said.

The Syrian top diplomat also referenced counterterrorism cooperation against the Islamic State (ISIS), saying that "any effort in this regard requires international support."

US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack on November 1 expressed his hopes that Damascus will soon join the US-led Global Coalition against ISIS.