Interim Syrian president calls for lifting of US sanctions

Ahmed al-Sharaa, the interim president of Syria, has called on the United States to lift the sanctions imposed on the country, asserting that the regime of Bashar al-Assad, which initially sparked these punitive measures, has already fallen.

In a recent interview with The New York Times (NYT), al-Sharaa highlighted the devastating impact of the sanctions on Syria's economy, adding that "Entire sectors were nearly destroyed: Agricultural, economical, the financial sector, the service industries, tourism."

Al-Sharaa himself is under UN sanctions, as is his group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which overthrew Assad’s regime in December, according to NYT. Washington has also designated HTS as a terrorist organisation.

The interim president of Syria revealed that his government is in negotiations for cooperation with Türkiye and Russia. He mentioned the military presence of both countries in Syria.

"Turkey has a military presence in Syria and Russia also has a military presence. We’ve nullified past agreements between Syria and other countries, and are in the process of developing new ones," he said.

According to two informed officials, the United States listed eight requirements in March that must be met before sanctions on Damascus are lifted. These include the destruction of all remaining chemical weapons stocks in Syria and cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

The US and its allies also insist on the expulsion of foreign mercenaries who fought in the rebel army led by al-Sharaa and, in some cases, took positions in the new government. The Syrian army was disbanded after the new government came to power.

Al-Sharaa stated that some of the conditions "need to be discussed or modified." He refused to disclose further details.

The Syrian president also did not rule out the possibility that the government may consider granting Syrian citizenship to foreigners who fought on the side of the rebels, have lived in the republic for many years, and, in some cases, are married to Syrian citizens. Experts interviewed by NYT did not rule out that this could become a barrier to lifting sanctions on Damascus and strengthen Western concerns that Syria could become a haven for extremists.

Al-Sharaa assured in his interview with NYT that the authorities would not allow the formation of threats to other countries on Syrian territory.

By Vugar Khalilov