The White House announced on Monday evening that US President Donald Trump had signed an executive order rescinding most US sanctions imposed on Syria since the 1970s.
According to the official statement, the executive order does not lift sanctions on former President Bashar Al-Assad, his family, top aides or individuals accused by the US of involvement in Syria’s defense industries.
“The United States is committed to supporting a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with itself and its neighbours,” the US president said in a statement on Monday.
“A united Syria that does not offer a safe haven for terrorist organisations and ensures the security of its religious and ethnic minorities will support regional security and prosperity.”
Meanwhile, Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani welcomed Trump’s decision, saying it “will open the door of long-awaited reconstruction and development”.
“It will lift the obstacle against economic recovery and open the country to the international community.”
This development coincides with circulating reports about secret talks between the new Syrian government and “Israel”, regarding the possibility of normalizing relations.
Some reports suggest that Damascus is willing to discuss the issue of relinquishing the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, as part of conditions set by the Israeli government.
