The Group of Seven (G-7) nations has invited Syria to attend next month’s summit in France as a guest nation, to be represented by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, sources said.
This will mark Syria's first participation in a summit of the group since the forum was founded in 1975.
An invitation to al-Sharaa to attend the June 15-17 summit in Evian-les-Bains, southeastern France, was hand-delivered to Syrian Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh, who attended the group's financial talks earlier this week in Paris, one of the sources said.
The source, a Syrian official, said Syria's participation in the talks would likely focus on the country's role as a "potential strategic hub for supply chains” following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Shipping through the Strait has been largely halted since the Iran war erupted at the end of February, rattling the global economy.
Syria, emerging from its 14-year civil war as a Western ally, is seeking to rebuild an economy shattered by years of conflict and sanctions.
While most sanctions imposed during former dictator Bashar Assad's rule have since been eased, attracting foreign investment and restoring normal banking ties have proven slower and more difficult than many officials had hoped.
