Syria welcomes US sanctions relief, calls move a step toward recovery
DAMASCUS — The Syrian Foreign Ministry on Saturday welcomed a U.S. decision to immediately lift sanctions on Syria, calling it a step in 'the right direction' toward easing the country's humanitarian and economic suffering.
In an official statement, the ministry expressed readiness to cooperate with all countries 'on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs,' adding that Syria was entering a new phase focused on rebuilding what was destroyed and restoring the nation's standing in the region and globally.
The comments followed a decision by the U.S. Treasury Department on Friday to issue a general license that effectively lifts U.S. sanctions on Syria.
The license, issued by the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), authorizes previously prohibited transactions under the Syrian Sanctions Regulations, opening the door to new investment and private sector engagement in the war-torn country.
'As President Trump promised, the Treasury Department and the State Department are implementing authorizations to encourage new investment into Syria,' U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in a statement.
President Donald Trump, during a recent visit to the Middle East, announced he would instruct U.S. agencies to lift what he described as 'brutal and crippling' sanctions on Syria to provide the country 'a chance at greatness.'The sweeping decision is being viewed as one of the most significant U.S. policy shifts on Syria in recent years, potentially marking the start of broader regional normalization efforts and foreign economic re-engagement with Damascus.
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