The US intends to ease sanctions against Syria, as Trump promised - CNN
Kyiv • UNN
The Trump administration has issued orders to ease sanctions on Syria to help the country rebuild after the war. The US Treasury Department has issued a license allowing transactions involving the Syrian government.
On Friday, the administration of US President Donald Trump issued orders to begin easing sanctions on Syria. This was a significant policy shift after the White House chief promised to lift the measures during a trip to the Middle East earlier this month, CNN reports, writes UNN.
Details
Trump administration officials have been in quiet talks for months to pave the way for easing sanctions to help Syria recover from years of devastating war and rebuild after the ouster of ousted leader Bashar Assad.
On Friday, the US Treasury Department said it had issued a general license for Syria allowing transactions involving the interim Syrian government, as well as the central bank and state-owned enterprises.
License GL25 "authorizes transactions prohibited by the Syrian Sanctions Regulations, effectively lifting sanctions against Syria," and "will allow new private sector investment and activity in line with the president's "America First" strategy," the press release said.
The US State Department simultaneously issued a 180-day waiver of sanctions under the Caesar Act to ensure that sanctions do not hinder investment and promote Syria's recovery and reconstruction efforts, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Rubio said the waivers would help provide electricity, energy, water and sanitation, and allow for a more effective response to humanitarian concerns across Syria.
Today's actions are the first step in realizing the President's vision for a new relationship between Syria and the United States
While in Saudi Arabia last week, where he met with interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Trump announced that sanctions against Syria would be lifted quickly, catching some officials off guard and causing chaotic attempts in the US government to implement the decision.
Shortly thereafter, Rubio said the US would grant waivers to sanctions on Syria, which are currently required by law. Meanwhile, the administration is conducting a complex technical review of the sanctions, which is expected to take weeks, officials said then.
If we make enough progress, we would like to see the law repealed, because it will be difficult to find people to invest in the country when sanctions could return in six months. We're not there yet. It's premature
Speaking in Saudi Arabia, Trump said he made the decision to lift sanctions after speaking with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Addition
Syria plans to print the national currency in the UAE and Germany, abandoning the services of Russia. This is happening against the backdrop of the easing of EU and US sanctions and the conclusion of economic agreements with the UAE.