TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, June 30, signed an executive order that lifts the sanction on Syria, according to the White House website, as reported by Aljazeera.
"Trump signed a historic Executive Order terminating the Syria sanctions program to support the country’s path to stability and peace," the White House said in a statement.
"The Order removes sanctions on Syria while maintaining sanctions on Bashar al-Assad," it said. "The Order permits the relaxation of export controls on certain goods and waives restrictions on certain foreign assistance to Syria."
As part of the order, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is directed to "explore avenues for sanctions relief at the United Nations to support stability in Syria."
The Syrian government has been under heavy U.S. financial sanctions that occurred before the outbreak of the civil war in the country in 2011. Syria has been designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism by the U.S. since December 1979.
In a statement uploaded on X, as reported by Anadolu, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al Shaibani welcomed Trump's decision. He said the decision will open the "long-awaited doors to reconstruction and development."
The extensive sanctions program, including provisions related to human rights violations by the previous government, has thwarted reconstruction efforts in the country. It has also contributed to pushing the Syrian economy under al-Assad to the brink of collapse.
Additional sanctions and restrictions were imposed in May 2004 with the issuance of Executive Order 13338. In May 2011, the U.S. government imposed additional sanctions targeting key sectors in the Syrian economy.
In his address at an investment forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 13, Trump announced that he planned to lift sanctions on Syria.
"The United States is committed to supporting a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with itself and its neighbors," the U.S. president said in a statement on Monday.
"A united Syria that does not offer a safe haven for terrorist organizations and ensures the security of its religious and ethnic minorities will support regional security and prosperity."
The next day, he held a crucial meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia—the first meeting between U.S. and Syrian leaders in 25 years.
Bashar al-Assad, who has ruled Syria for almost a quarter of a century, fled to Russia on December 8, 2024, marking the end of the Baath Party's decades-long rule that began in 1963.
Al Sharaa, who led former Al Qaeda and pro-Israel forces that toppled Assad, was declared as the transitional president at the end of January.
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