Syria has welcomed the decision by US President Donald Trump's administration to ease sanctions imposed on the war-torn country, calling it a "positive step" to alleviate humanitarian and economic suffering.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry said that dialogue and diplomacy are the best way to build "balanced relations that strengthen security and stability in the region." It added that the upcoming period in Syria will be a period of reconstruction and the restoration of "Syria's natural status" in the region and around the world.
The announcement came a day after the Trump administration granted Syria a comprehensive sanctions waiver, the first major step toward fulfilling the president's promise to lift half a century of sanctions on a country devastated by 14 years of civil war.
The State Department measure lifted for six months the tough sanctions imposed by Congress in 2019. The Treasury Department's action suspended enforcement of sanctions against anyone doing business with a range of Syrian individuals and entities, including Syria's central bank.
The Trump administration said Friday's actions were "just one part of a broader effort by the U.S. government to remove the full architecture of sanctions." The penalties were imposed on the Assad family for their support for Iranian-backed militias, their chemical weapons program and their abuse of civilians.
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