Damascus, SANA- Minister of Finance Mohammad Yusr Barniyeh affirmed that the recent U.S. executive order converting the current freeze on sanctions against Syria into a permanent lift—and eliminating the legal basis for many sanctions imposed by current and previous U.S. administrations—is a major and significant step that will positively impact the Syrian economy.
In a post on LinkedIn, Minister Barniyeh expressed his gratitude to U.S. President Donald Trump and all staff at the U.S. Department of the Treasury for their cooperation and understanding of the challenges Syria is facing.
He explained that the US decree revoked five previous decrees that formed the legal basis for numerous sanctions on Syria, targeting more than 5,000 Syrian entities. It also revoked the state of emergency imposed in 2004, and paves the way for lifting the economic blockade on the export of US services and goods to Syria.
He noted that the decree directs the U.S. Department of Commerce to lift restrictions on the export or re-export of any American products to Syria and calls for a review of Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. However, sanctions on the deposed Bashar al-Assad and his associates will remain in place.
The Minister of Finance emphasized the ministry’s determination to seize every opportunity created by these measures to continue strengthening sound financial governance and enhancing the integrity of financial transactions in Syria.
Nisreen Othman / Manar Salameh
