The decision to lift the sanctions against the president of Syria was taken one day after the corresponding decision of the United Nations Security Council and ahead of al-Sara’s meeting with him next week.
According to an announcement on the website of the US Treasury Department, the United States removed the designation of “Specially Designated International Terrorist” from al-Sara, as well as the Syrian Interior Minister, Anas Khattab.
The government of Great Britain took a similar action for both (now) Syrian politicians.
Historic moment and historic meeting on Monday
Al-Sara’s visit to the White House on Monday will be the first by a Syrian president, but his second meeting with Trump. Ahead of their first meeting in May – the first between a US president and a Syrian president in 25 years – Trump announced a major shift in US policy, saying he would lift US sanctions against Syria.
“I think he’s doing a very good job,” Trump said of the Syrian leader yesterday. “It’s a tough neighborhood and he’s a tough guy, but we got along really well. And great progress has been made with Syria.”
“We lifted sanctions on Syria to give them a fighting chance,” he added.
