The head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), a global non-proliferation agency, will meet Syrian officials in Damascus on Saturday, three sources familiar with the visit told Reuters.

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa met in Damascus on Saturday with a delegation from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), led by its director-general, Fernando Gonzalez.

During the Syrian civil war the OPCW found that chemical weapons were likely used by the regime in 20 instances.

The head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said on Saturday meetings he had with Syria's new leaders in Damascus were a first step towards ending years of strained relations on chemical arms under Bashar al-Assad.