USA gives Syria a list of conditions for a partial relief of sanctions
The United States has given Syria a list of conditions that wants Damascus to meet in exchange for a partial relief of sanctions. The American deputy undersecretary for the East and Syria, Natasha Franceschi, met with Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad Al-Sibani, within the framework of a donor conference for Syria in Brussels on March 18 and gave him the list, as confirmed to the Reuters agency a US official and a source of conversation.
All requested anonymity to be able to talk about high level diplomacy.
Among the demands of the United States are the destruction by Syria of any remaining chemical weapons; cooperation in the fight against terrorism; The guarantee that foreign combatants will not occupy high -level positions in the Government structure of Syria (Damascus has already appointed some foreign foreign, including Uigures, a Jordanian and a Turk, for his Ministry of Defense, which has alarmed foreign governments); And that Syria designates a link to help the United States in the search for Austin Tice, the American journalist disappeared in the country more than a decade ago. Washington has not given a deadline for compliance with its conditions.
In exchange for meeting all demands, Washington would provide a partial relief of sanctions, according to six sources consulted by reuters who ask for anonymity: two US officials, a Syrian source, a regional diplomat and two sources in Washington close to negotiation. A specific measure would be an extension of two years of a current exemption for transactions with Syrian government institutions and possibly the issuance of another exemption. The United States would also issue a declaration of support for the territorial integrity of the country. Syria desperately needs a relief of sanctions to reactivate an economy collapsed by almost 14 years of war, during which the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe imposed hard sanctions on people, companies and whole sectors of the Syrian economy in an attempt to press the now overthrown leader, Bashar al-Assad.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry has not responded to applications. A state department spokesman has affirmed that “publicly comments private diplomatic conversations.” (Reuters)
