Washington: US Special Envoy Tom Barrack has expressed strong support for Syria’s shift from isolation to partnership, urging the US Congress to lift the Caesar Act sanctions, which were initially imposed to target the Assad regime.
According to Anadolu Agency, Barrack praised Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s recent visit to Washington as a pivotal moment in Middle Eastern history, highlighting Syria’s transition towards partnership. This marked the first visit of a Syrian president to the US since Syria’s independence in 1946. During his meeting with US President Donald Trump, both leaders emphasized the importance of moving from estrangement to engagement, offering Syria a chance for renewal.
Syria’s involvement in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS was highlighted by Barrack as a significant step in its transition from a source of terrorism to a counterterrorism ally. He acknowledged Turkey’s crucial role in supporting Syria’s resurgence, describing it as an example of effective diplomacy in building international partnerships.
Barrack called on Congress to repeal the Caesar Act sanctions to enable the new Syrian government to thrive. These sanctions, established in 2019, were part of a strategy to pressure the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad by hindering economic transactions and investments involving the Syrian government.
With Assad’s removal, Syria is striving to enhance cooperation with regional and international partners, aiming to lift economic and political sanctions. Some sanctions have already been lifted, including Syria’s removal from the US Treasury Department’s sanction list and the delisting of senior officials from terror-related sanctions by the UN and the US.
The complete lifting of sanctions, particularly the Caesar Act, seems imminent as the US signals a near-total removal of restrictions, evidenced by the suspension of Caesar sanctions for another 180 days.