Photo: Reuters
The administration of US President Donald Trump has unexpectedly eased the sanctions regime against Syria, effectively opening the way for cooperation with the new interim government in Damascus. According to Reuters, the US Treasury Department on Friday issued a GL25 general licence, which allows financial and economic transactions with Syrian state entities, including the central bank and enterprises that were previously under sanctions.
“GL25 will enable new private sector investment and activity in line with the President’s America First strategy,” the US Treasury said.
In addition, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has granted a temporary 180-day exemption from sanctions under the Caesar Act,one of the toughest laws against Syria. According to him, this was done to facilitate humanitarian aid and infrastructure reconstruction, particularly in the energy and water sectors.
“Today’s action is the first step towards realising President Trump’s vision of a new relationship between the United States and Syria,” Rubio said, stressing that the easing of sanctions should be accompanied by reciprocal steps from the Syrian authorities.
The White House confirmed that during a recent meeting with Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, Trump set several conditions: the withdrawal of all foreign fighters, the deportation of Palestinian groups that the US considers terrorist, and assistance in the fight against ISIS.
Syria welcomed the US decision. The country’s Foreign Ministry called it a “positive step towards reducing humanitarian suffering” and stressed its desire to pursue international cooperation based on non-interference and mutual respect.
As a reminder, most of the US sanctions were imposed in 2011 against the Bashar al-Assad regime in response to the outbreak of the civil war. Trump’s new course could mean a dramatic turnaround in US Syrian policy.
