Washington Announces Lifting of Sanctions on Ahmad al-Shar’a

The United States announced late Friday night the lifting of sanctions on Syria’s transitional president, Ahmad al-Shar’a, and his Interior Minister, Anas al-Khattab, one day after the United Nations Security Council took the same position.

The U.S. decision came ahead of President Donald Trump’s scheduled meeting next Monday.

In a statement, the U.S. Department of the Treasury said that the United States had removed the names of al-Shar’a and Syrian Interior Minister Anas al-Khattab from the list of “Specially Designated Global Terrorists.”

Last Thursday, the Security Council voted in favor of a U.S.-sponsored resolution to lift the names of the transitional prime minister and the interior minister from the international sanctions list.

The resolution was adopted with the support of 14 members, with one member abstaining from the vote out of a total of 15, according to the United Nations website.

According to the text of the resolution, “The Security Council, acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, decided to remove the names of Ahmad al-Shar’a and his Interior Minister, Anas Hassan al-Khattab, from the sanctions list that had been imposed on them prior to assuming their positions in the new Syrian administration.”

In this context, a spokesperson for the European Union said that the bloc intends to lift the sanctions imposed on Ahmad al-Shar’a.

He explained: “The United Nations decision will be reflected in European measures,” referring to the EU’s intention to take a similar step regarding the lifting of sanctions on al-Shar’a.

The EU spokesperson also reaffirmed the Union’s commitment to supporting the political process in Syria, stating: “We remain committed to supporting a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led and Syrian-owned transition process to help build a better future for all Syrians.”