Washington [US], May 14: US President Donald Trump announced on May 13 that he would lift all sanctions on Syria, saying it was time for the Middle Eastern country to "move forward".
Speaking at an investment forum in Saudi Arabia while on a Middle East tour , Mr Trump said US sanctions against Syria had served their purpose and were no longer needed.
"I will be lifting sanctions on Syria to give them a chance to achieve greatness. It is their time to shine," Al Jazeera quoted Trump as saying on May 13. The US president ended his speech with a message for Damascus: "Good luck, Syria. Show us something special."
Mr Trump's move marks a major shift in Washington's policy towards Syria. Over the years, the US has imposed sanctions on the regime of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad . Syrian opposition groups overthrew Mr al-Assad in December 2024, established a caretaker government and appointed Ahmed al-Sharaa as interim president.
Al Jazeera reported that Mr. Trump will meet Mr. al-Sharaa on May 14. Previously, the US leader said that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani in Türkiye this week.
Mr Trump said conversations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan influenced the decision to lift sanctions on Syria.
Syrian Foreign Minister al-Shibani welcomed Trump's decision as an important turning point for the Syrian people, towards a future of stability, self-reliance and real reconstruction, after years of conflict and instability. In Syria, many people took to the streets to celebrate after hearing the news of Washington's lifting of the ban.
Before the US, the European Union (EU) and the UK also lifted some sanctions on Syria earlier this year. In the US Congress, the two top senators on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee - Republican Jim Rish and Democrat Jeanne Shaheen - supported the decision to end the embargo on Syria.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
