Syria’s foreign minister said on Tuesday that the lifting of sanctions on his country showed an “international will” to support Damascus, after EU countries agreed to end the bloc’s economic sanctions.
In a press conference in Damascus alongside his Jordanian counterpart, Asaad al-Shaibani said that “lifting sanctions expresses the regional and international will to support Syria,” adding that “the Syrian people today have a very important and historic opportunity to rebuild their country.”
“The plan today is to benefit from the lifting of sanctions. Anyone who wants to invest in Syria, the doors are open; anyone who wants to cooperate with Syria, there are no sanctions,” he added.
Al-Shaibani’s statement came after European diplomats said in Brussels that the EU had given the green light to lifting all economic sanctions on Syria in an attempt to support the country’s reconstruction following the December overthrow of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad.
EU foreign ministers are expected to officially announce their decision later on Tuesday.
The move would follow US President Donald Trump’s announcement last week in Riyadh that he was waiving sanctions on the war-torn country.
Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the time called Trump’s move “a historic and courageous decision” that “lays the foundations for stability in the region.”
Western states had imposed a plethora of sanctions on al-Assad, his inner circle and the Syrian government as a whole throughout the 14-year civil war, which killed over half a million people.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi congratulated al-Shaibani on the developments, saying Syria was now “in a new phase, and Syria’s success requires giving it a chance to succeed.”
Lifting sanctions would provide the Syrian government with “the capabilities it needs to serve its people and will allow the private sector in all countries of the world to work towards that,” Safadi said.
The EU had already suspended some restrictions on Syria’s key economic sectors in February.
Officials said these measures could be reimposed if Syria’s new leaders do not fulfil their promises to respect minority rights and move towards democracy.
Syria and Jordan also announced on Tuesday the formation of a higher coordination council between the two countries and the signing of a memorandum of understanding.
“We agreed on a roadmap to boost cooperation in the fields of energy, water, industry, trade and transport” as well as the health sector, Safadi said.
Al-Shaibani said that today’s visit constituted “a historic milestone in the history of both countries and a very important point in the future of the relationship between the two countries.”
AFP
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