Latest news with #ex-Syrian
The Hill
24-05-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Trump administration eases sanctions on Syria
The Trump administration announced Friday that it would ease sanctions against Syria, making good on President Trump's promise from earlier this month to roll back penalties against the country roiled by years of civil war. The Treasury Department confirmed the move in a statement Friday, saying it issued Syria a General License (GL) 25, authorizing transactions involving the country's new government headed by Ahmad al-Sharaa. GL 25 will allow for new investment and private sector activity, positioning Syria to be free of the sanctions — most of which were imposed during ex-Syrian President Bashar Assad's rule. Assad was driven out of the office by Syrian rebels late last year. Secretary of State Marco said on Friday that he issued a 180-day waiver to make sure that sanctions don't hamper the U.S.'s partners from making investments. The waivers facilitate the provision of water, energy, electricity and allow for a more 'effective' humanitarian response all around Syria, according to Rubio. 'Today's actions represent the first step in delivering on the President's vision of a new relationship between Syria and the United States,' the secretary of state said in a statement. 'President Trump is providing the Syrian government with the chance to promote peace and stability, both within Syria and in Syria's relations with its neighbors.' 'The President has made clear his expectation that relief will be followed by prompt action by the Syrian government on important policy priorities,' he added. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted in a statement that Syria has to continue working to become a 'stable' nation that is at 'peace' and that the federal government's action on Friday will 'hopefully put the country on a path to a bright, prosperous, and stable future.' Trump vowed earlier this month, during his multi-stop trip to the Middle East, that he would lift sanctions against Syria. He added that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan advocated for the sanctions to be lifted. The president met with al-Sharaa last week and encouraged the new leader to reject Palestinian and Syrian terrorists and help prevent the resurgence of ISIS, according to the White House.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Putin's refuge for Bashar al-Assad in Moscow impacting Russian efforts to keep forces in Syria, says UK
Vladimir Putin offering refuge to ex-Syrian tyrant Bashar al-Assad in Moscow is undermining Russia's talks to keep its forces in the wartorn country, according to British defence chiefs. They believe that Russia is carrying out an evacuation from its Mediterranean naval port of Tartus in Syria. In its latest intelligence update, the Ministry of Defence in London said: 'On 28 and 29 January 2025, Russian merchant vessels SPARTA II and SPARTA reportedly departed Tartus, Russia's strategically important naval base in Syria. 'The two merchant vessels are highly likely returning evacuated equipment and personnel to alternative basing locations away from the Mediterranean Sea, accompanied by four Russian Federation Navy vessels.' The update added: 'Negotiations between Russian Government representatives and Syria's ruling administration, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), regarding the future of Russian bases, are almost certainly ongoing. 'Russia is almost certainly continuing to actively engage HTS to develop ties and promote itself as a beneficial partner. 'However, Russia is in a weaker negotiating position due to various factors, likely including the Syrian leadership's hostility towards the former Syrian dictator, Bashar Al-Assad, currently harboured by Russia.' Britain, the US, Ukraine and its other allies are fighting an information war against Russia so their briefings need to be treated with caution, but are far more believable than Kremlin propaganda. Russia propped up Assad's brutal regime for years, including with air strikes on rebel forces as they swept across the country in a lightning uprising which toppled him in December. Assad, who was dubbed the 'Rat of Damascus' by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, fled to Russia where he was offered refuge. Putin's regime has since been in talks with Syria's new administration led by HTS, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, to allow Russian forces to remain at the country's Khmeimim Air Base in Syria's Latakia province and the port of Tartus. Western sanctions on Syria's banking sector are preventing critical investments in the war-ravaged economy despite huge interest from Syrian and foreign investors since the fall of Assad, the country's investment chief said. 'Sanctions have stopped everything. Right now, they are primarily on the Syrian people and are increasing their suffering,' stressed Ayman Hamawiye, the 36-year old head of the Syrian Investment Agency. The US in January issued a six-month waiver to its Syria sanctions, focused on the energy sector and financial transfers to Syrian governing authorities, but kept sanctions in place on the central bank, keeping Syria cut off from the international financial system. The EU in late January also agreed on a roadmap to ease its wide-ranging Syria sanctions, which EU diplomats say may include lifting some measures in place on the banking sector, but details are still being worked out in Brussels. 'The steps taken so far on sanctions are inadequate,' said Mr Hamawiye. 'In my opinion, everyone has an interest in these transactions going through a banking system with oversight and transparency rather than through informal transfer networks.'
