The first public confirmation of interaction with HTS came at the conclusion of Blinken’s diplomatic tour of the region sparked by the sudden downfall of Assad’s decades-long rule.
He signed off on a set of guiding principles for Syria’s transition with officials from eight Arab nations, Turkey, the European Union and the United Nations.
Under the agreement, the transition process must be Syrian-led and inclusive; the rights of all Syrians, including women, respected; humanitarian aid unrestricted; Syria banned from being used as a terrorist base; and all chemical weapons stockpiles destroyed.
“Now, no one has any illusions about how challenging this time will be, but there’s also something incredibly powerful at work: a Syrian people determined to break with the past and shape a better future,” Blinken said.
The U.S. official also emphasized that helping find Austin Tice — an American freelance journalist who is thought to have been taken captive close to Damascus in August 2012 while he was covering the country’s civil war — and bringing him home will be a top priority.