Latest news with #GeneralIntelligenceDirectorate
Leaders
13-05-2025
- Business
- Leaders
Syria Welcomes Trump's Statement on Possible Relief of Sanctions
Syria has welcomed the US President Donald Trump's remarks regarding the possibility of reliving sanctions on Syria as the new government seeks to reshape its international status after a decade of civil war, AFP reported. Trump's Remarks 'We are going to have to make a decision on the sanctions, which we may very well relieve. We may take them off of Syria because we want to give them a fresh start,' Mr Trump told journalists at the White House. These remarks came ahead of his scheduled Gulf tour and the first official visit abroad of his second presidency. 'Encouraging Step' Syria described this move as 'an encouraging step towards alleviating the suffering of the Syrian people,' according to the Syrian Foreign Ministry. 'The Syrian people aspire to a full lifting of these sanctions, as part of broader measures that support peace and prosperity in both Syria and the region,' it added. The Syrian government has been seeking to strengthen ties with European countries and the US for the sake of lifting sanctions. However, Trump's administration has not officially recognized Syria's government, led by President Ahmad Al Sharaa. UK Lifts Sanctions Last month, the British government lifted sanctions on Syria's interior and defense ministries marking the latest easing of sanctions following Assad's fall from power. Syria's General Intelligence Directorate, Air Force Intelligence Agency and National Security Bureau were also emitted from the list of entities subject to financial sanctions by the U.K, according to Reuters. Such sanctions were primarily due to the repression of civilian population or 'supporting or benefiting from the Syrian regime.' In this regard, Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa stated that lifting sanctions would prevent another civil war in Syria. 'Any chaos in Syria will damage not just neighboring countries but the whole world,' Al-Sharaa said. New Chapter with South Korea In a remarkable milestone in the Syrian foreign policy, Syria and South Korea has recently unfolded a new chapter of diplomatic relations, according to Arab News. A high-level delegation from South Korea has visited Syria and held several meetings with Senior officials in Syria. The Korean delegation met with Syria's President Al-Sharaa at the People's Palace in the Syrian capital. During the visit, Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Asaad Al-Shaibani signed an agreement with his South Korean counterpart, Cho Tae-yul, in Damascus to establish diplomatic ties between both countries. The new agreement would unleash new horizons of cooperation between Syria and Korea, open embassies and exchange diplomatic missions between both countries. Importantly, this cooperation seeks to restore Syria's international standing that has collapsed because of the policies of the former Assad regime. Related Topics: LIVE: President Trump Begins Gulf Tour with Visit to Saudi Arabia Video: Saudi Crown Prince Receives Trump in Riyadh No Decentralization: Syria Warns Kurds against Delay in Integrating into State Short link : Post Views: 1
Leaders
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Leaders
Syria's Al-Sharaa Discusses Regional Affairs with Bahrain's King
Syria's President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and a high-ranking delegation visited Bahrain on Saturday and met King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa at the Sakhir Palace in Manama, according to SANA News Agency. Both leaders discussed Syrian-Bahraini relations and ways of fostering the bilateral ties along with other regional affairs and means of supporting Syria's security and stability. Importantly, Al-Sharaa's visit to Bahrain comes days before US President Donald Trump's expected trip to the region for talks with leaders of Gulf Arab nations. The visit also comes after Al-Sharaa's trip to France on May 7 based on an invitation from the French President Emmanuel Macron, marking his first European visit, according to Reuters. Intensified Efforts Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December, the new Syrian government has been seeking to restore relations with Western and Arab countries and build new diplomatic relations to boost its stability and security. Moreover, the new leader has been pushing for the lifting of international sanctions. The British government has recently lifted sanctions on Syria's interior and defense ministries marking the latest easing of sanctions following Assad's fall from power. Syria's General Intelligence Directorate, Air Force Intelligence Agency and National Security Bureau were also emitted from the list of entities subject to financial sanctions by the U.K, according to Reuters. Such sanctions were primarily due to the repression of civilian population or 'supporting or benefiting from the Syrian regime.' In this regard, Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa stated that lifting sanctions would prevent another civil war in Syria. 'Any chaos in Syria will damage not just neighboring countries but the whole world,' Al-Sharaa said. Related Topics: Syria's Al-Sharaa to Visit France on May 7 Syria's President Al-Sharaa Arrives in Riyadh Photos: Saudi Crown Prince Receives Syrian President Al-Sharaa Short link : Post Views: 69
Leaders
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Leaders
UK Lifts Sanctions on Syria's Interior, Defense Ministries
The British government has lifted sanctions on Syria's interior and defense ministries marking the latest easing of sanctions following Assad's fall from power. Syria's General Intelligence Directorate, Air Force Intelligence Agency and National Security Bureau were also emitted from the list of entities subject to financial sanctions by the U.K, according to Reuters. Such sanctions were primarily due to the repression of civilian population or 'supporting or benefiting from the Syrian regime.' In this regard, Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa stated that lifting sanctions would prevent another civil war in Syria. 'Any chaos in Syria will damage not just neighboring countries but the whole world,' Al-Sharaa said. Currently, the new Syrian government seeks to restore relations with Western and Arab countries and build new diplomatic relations to boost its stability and security. New Diplomatic Relations In a remarkable milestone in the Syrian foreign policy, Syria and South Korea unfolded a new chapter of diplomatic relations on Thursday, according to Arab News. A high-level delegation from South Korea has visited Syria and held several meetings with Senior officials in Syria. The Korean delegation met with Syria's President Al-Sharaa at the People's Palace in the Syrian capital. During the visit, Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Asaad Al-Shaibani signed an agreement with his South Korean counterpart, Cho Tae-yul, in Damascus to establish diplomatic ties between both countries. According to the SANA Agency, the new agreement would unleash new horizons of cooperation between Syria and Korea, open embassies and exchange diplomatic missions between both countries. Importantly, this cooperation seeks to restore Syria's international standing that has collapsed because of the policies of the former Assad regime. 'This development opens a new chapter of cooperation with Syria, whose bilateral relations with South Korea had been severed due to its close ties with North Korea,' South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Related Topics: Syria Resumes Direct Flights with UAE Syria's Al-Sharaa Strengthens Ties with UAE President at Abu Dhabi Saudi Arabia Strongly Condemns Israeli Attack on Syria's Koya Short link : Post Views: 14
Morocco World
24-04-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
UK Eases Sanctions on Syria
Rabat – On Thursday, April 24, the United Kingdom removed asset freezes on Syria's Ministries of Defense and Interior, as well as its main intelligence agencies, including the General Intelligence Directorate and Air Force Intelligence Agency. These are all entities that were previously sanctioned for their roles in repressing civilians and supporting the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad. This move comes four months after Assad was ousted from power by opposition groups led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an armed group still designated as a 'terrorist organization' by the UK and US. As the new Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa seeks to rebuild the country's economy and international relationships, it is urging countries to lift the sanctions against Syria, arguing that these measures were taken against the previous government and should have no place on the current. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said the decision aims to aid Syria's economic recovery, encourage the return of Syrian refugees, and promote regional stability. The UK government had previously lifted sanctions on Syria's central bank and oil companies in March. Sanctions remain in place on individuals connected to the Assad regime in an effort to hold the regime accountable for its actions since 2011, during the Syrian Civil War. Restrictions on the export of certain goods and technologies will also remain in place. This includes the prohibition of military, advanced communication and surveillance equipment, as well as dual-use technology; which can be used for both civilian and military purposes. The regional chief for Arab States at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Abdallah al-Dardari, urged the Syrian authorities last week to start the economic recovery process without waiting for Western countries to lift their sanctions, asserting in a statement that 'Waiting for sanctions to be lifted leads nowhere.' Tags: Ahmad al-SharaaSyriaUnited Kingdom
Al Jazeera
24-04-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
UK lifts sanctions on dozen Syrian government bodies
The United Kingdom has removed its sanctions on 12 Syrian government entities, including the Ministries of Defence and Interior and the General Intelligence Directorate. The move on Thursday was made four months after the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) armed group led opposition groups in ousting President Bashar al-Assad following more than 13 years of war. The entities removed from the sanctions list will no longer be subject to asset freezes, read the notice posted by the UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation in London. Those targeted by the sanctions were 'involved in repressing the civilian population in Syria' or had been 'involved in supporting or benefitting from the Syrian regime' of al-Assad, according to the notice, which did not give an explanation for the delisting. In March, the British government unfroze the assets of the Central Bank of Syria and 23 other entities, including banks and oil companies. However, it has stressed that sanctions on members of the al-Assad regime would remain in place. The new HTS-led Syrian government is trying to persuade Western capitals that crippling international sanctions should be lifted. Speaking at a televised event with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said at the beginning of this year: 'We inherited a lot of problems from the Assad regime, … but removing economic sanctions is key for the stability of Syria.' Some countries, including the United States, have said they will wait to see how the new authorities exercise their power and ensure human rights before lifting sanctions, opting instead for targeted and temporary exemptions. Last week, a visiting United Nations official called on Syria's authorities to begin the process of economic recovery without waiting for Western sanctions to be lifted. 'Waiting for sanctions to be lifted leads nowhere,' Abdallah Al Dardari, the regional chief for Arab states at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), told the AFP news agency in an interview in Damascus. A February UNDP report estimated that at current growth rates, Syria would need more than 50 years to return to the economic level it had before the war, and it called for massive investment to accelerate the process. The UN study said nine out of 10 Syrians now live in poverty, one-quarter are jobless and Syria's GDP 'has shrunk to less than half of its value' in 2011, the year the war began. Syria's Human Development Index score, which factors in life expectancy, education and standard of living, has fallen to its worst level since it was first included in the index in 1990, meaning the war erased decades of development. The UNDP report estimated Syria's 'lost GDP' during the 2011-2024 war to be about $800bn.
