The United States and the United Kingdom have lifted sanctions on Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara. The announcement came on Friday (7 November), a day after the UN Security Council took the same step, according to a report by the British news agency Reuters.
The European Union has also said it will soon announce the withdrawal of sanctions.
In a statement, the US State Department said the decision was taken in order to work with Syria on anti-narcotics operations, the elimination of chemical weapons, and strengthening regional security, as well as considering the progress made by the current government since the end of former president Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
Alongside President al-Shara, Washington and London have also lifted sanctions on the country’s Interior Minister Anas Khattab. Both had been under financial sanctions on allegations of links to ISIS and al-Qaeda.
The UN Security Council said the previous day that sanctions on al-Shara were removed because there is no longer an active relationship between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and al-Qaeda. Meanwhile, the European Union stated it would take further steps in alignment with the UN decision.
Ahmad al-Shara took power last December after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. The former HTS leader has been leading the interim government since January and is working to rebuild Syria’s relations with global powers.
Later this week, al-Shara is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump at the White House. If the meeting takes place, it will be the first time a Syrian head of state meets at the White House.
