US, Syria mull lifting sanctions, removing HTS from terrorist list

A delegation of US diplomats met with representatives of the Syrian authorities in Damascus on December 20 to discuss the potential lifting of sanctions and the removal of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from the list of designated terrorist organizations.

The US delegation addressed several key issues during the talks, including the lifting of sanctions on the Syrian people, particularly the Caesar Act, and the exclusion of HTS from the list of terrorist groups, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The meeting marked a significant diplomatic development, with the US engaging with the new Syrian authorities on matters affecting the country’s international standing and economic challenges.

The delegation of senior officials includes Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf, Roger Carstens, who is US President Joe Biden's hostage envoy and Daniel Rubinstein, senior adviser in the Bureau of Near East Affairs.

"They will be engaging directly with the Syrian people, including members of civil society, activists, members of different communities, and other Syrian voices about their vision for the future of their country and how the United States can help support them," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement.

They meet representatives from HTS, in a show of readiness to deal with the group the US still designates as a terrorist organisation, but building pressure for it to transition to inclusive, non-sectarian government.

Washington is effectively laying down a set of conditions before it would consider delisting the group - a critical step which could help ease the path towards sanctions relief that Damascus desperately needs.

By Vafa Guliyeva