AP: US lifts visa ban for Syrian delegation ahead of UN meeting

Syria’s UN delegation has received a waiver lifting long-standing restrictions on its travel to the US to attend a high-level UN meeting this month, a move that could signal Washington’s attempt to strengthen ties with the country. 

According to a US government memo, the waiver, issued last week, removes limitations that have been in place for more than a decade, Caliber.Az reports via AP.

The development comes as the Trump administration seeks to engage Syria following the 2011 ouster of President Bashar Assad and to integrate the country more fully into regional affairs.

Meanwhile, the administration continues to enforce strict travel measures for other delegations. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his team were recently denied visas to attend a high-level UN meeting in New York, and further restrictions on Sudanese and Zimbabwean delegations are reportedly under consideration, though specific measures have not been disclosed.

By Sabina Mammadli