President Donald Trump announced during the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum that he will be lifting sanctions on Syria.
“I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” he declared. “In Syria, which has seen so much misery and death, there is a new government that we must all hope will succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace. That’s what we want to see.”
“In Syria, they’ve had their share of travesty, war, killing many years. That’s why my administration has already taken the first steps toward restoring normal relations between the United States and Syria for the first time in more than a decade,” the president noted.
“So I say, good luck Syria,” Trump added. “Show us something very special, like they’ve done, frankly, in Saudi Arabia.”
Trump is expected to meet with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa this week.
Al-Sharaa congratulated Trump after his January inauguration.
“We are confident that he is the leader to bring peace to the Middle East and restore stability to the region,” Sharaa’s administration said, as per the Times of Israel. “We look forward to improving the relations between our two countries based on dialogue and understanding.”
SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdi also congratulated Trump, stating Syria looks forward to “continuing cooperation in achieving stability, defeating terrorism, and supporting peace in Northeast Syria. Together, we can build a better future for our peoples.”
The U.S. State Department says Syria has been designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism since 1979. Further restrictions and sanctions were issued in 2004 and in 2011.
