Talks in Washington
Syria's Minister of Energy, Mohammad al-Bashir, led an official delegation in Washington in early June 2026 for a round of meetings with United States officials and American companies on investment in the Syrian energy sector. The talks ran across 8 and 9 June 2026 and brought together representatives of the oil, gas and infrastructure industries from both sides.
The Syrian side included the head of the Syrian Petroleum Company, Youssef Qablawi, and the deputy energy minister for planning, Ibrahim al-Addahan, with the acting head of Syria's diplomatic mission in Washington, Mohammad Qanater, also attending alongside technical specialists.
Rebuilding Oil and Gas
Discussions centered on rehabilitating damaged oil and gas facilities, developing logistics networks, and opening reconstruction projects to foreign capital. Officials reviewed mechanisms for technical cooperation and the regulatory framework that would govern international partnerships in the sector.
The agenda also covered technology transfer and the job creation tied to new projects, elements the government is seeking to attach to any incoming investment in the sector.
Meetings With Companies
One session was held at the headquarters of the US Chamber of Commerce, where the delegation met the chamber's board chairman, Ross Perot Jr., and the chief executive of HKN Energy, Mark Rollins, a firm that has already begun operating inside Syria.
The two sides discussed expanding the work of American companies in oil, gas and infrastructure, and the regulatory and logistical arrangements that would require.
US Backing for Investment
The American side voiced support for Syrian government efforts to redevelop the energy sector and said it would encourage US companies to pursue opportunities in the country. During the visit the Syrian energy minister also met the United States energy secretary, Chris Wright.
Al-Bashir said the government is offering facilitation and building the legal frameworks needed to attract investment, noting that some American firms have already begun operating in Syria.
No Agreements Signed
The meetings were exploratory. No binding agreement, financial commitment or timeline was announced, and the two sides described the contacts as a step toward future cooperation rather than a concluded deal.
For an economy emerging from years of isolation, direct engagement with American energy officials and investors points to a possible widening of the channels through which reconstruction capital could eventually reach Syria.