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Syria welcomed the United States' decision to lift comprehensive economic sanctions on Saturday, calling it a "positive step" toward the country's post-war recovery following the December overthrow of ex-President Bashar al-Assad.
The formal lifting of sanctions on Friday represents a dramatic reversal of U.S. policy that had maintained sweeping financial restrictions throughout Syria's 14-year civil war. The move opens the door for American investment in Syria's reconstruction efforts for the first time in over a decade.
"The Syrian Arab Republic welcomes the decision from the American government to lift the sanctions imposed on Syria and its people for many years," Syria's foreign ministry said in a statement, describing the action as "a positive step in the right direction to reduce humanitarian and economic struggles in the country."
The sanctions relief comes with conditions attached. Syria's new government must ensure the country does not provide safe haven for terrorist organizations and must guarantee security for religious and ethnic minorities, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the waiver would "facilitate the provision of electricity, energy, water, and sanitation, and enable a more effective humanitarian response across Syria."
The authorization covers new investment in Syria, provision of financial services, and transactions involving Syrian petroleum products.
"Today's actions represent the first step in delivering on the president's vision of a new relationship between Syria and the United States," Rubio said.
The decision formalizes an announcement made by President Donald Trump during his visit to Saudi Arabia earlier this month. During Assad's rule, the U.S. had made clear it would use sanctions to punish anyone involved in Syria's reconstruction as long as the former president remained in power.
Syria's new government, led by Islamist former rebels with some past connections to Al-Qaeda, has been working to establish relationships with Western governments and secure the rollback of international sanctions since Assad's departure from power.
The sanctions relief marks the beginning of what could be a significant shift in U.S.-Syria relations after more than a decade of economic isolation during the country's devastating civil war.
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