Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is expected to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York next month, a Syrian official told Reuters. The appearance would be the first by a Syrian head of state at the forum in more than half a century, underscoring Damascus’s effort to re-enter international diplomacy after years of war and sanctions. Sharaa, who broke with al-Qaeda in 2016, has been seeking the removal of U.S. and international penalties imposed during Syria’s civil conflict. In May he met U.S. President Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia to press his case for sanctions relief, according to the Reuters report. The White House said President Trump will travel to New York on 22 September and deliver his own address to the General Assembly on 23 September, setting the stage for a closely watched week of speeches by both leaders.