In a related context, the U.S. State Department indicated that this suspension of sanctions will be time-limited to 180 days, confirming that this decision “expresses Washington’s commitment to continue easing sanctions on Syria” and “replaces the waiver from Caesar Act sanctions issued on May 23.”
The U.S. State Department also clarified that “this suspension halts the imposition of sanctions under the Caesar Act, with the exception of transactions related to the governments of Russia and Iran, or the transfer of goods, technology, software, funds, financing, or services of Russian or Iranian origin.”
In contrast, the Syrian Presidency stated that President Ahmed Sharaa held discussions with his American counterpart Donald Trump in Washington on ways to develop bilateral relations and regional issues, in the presence of the two countries’ foreign ministers.
A correspondent for Al Arabiya channel in Washington reported that Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa left the White House after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, while a White House official confirmed the start of the meeting between the two presidents on Monday evening.
According to sources from “Al Arabiya” and “Al Hadath,” the meeting took place behind closed doors with the presence of the U.S. envoy to Syria, Tom Braak, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. It addressed the completion of lifting sanctions on Syria, Damascus officially joining the international coalition against ISIS, in addition to other political, economic, and security files.
Fox News had quoted an American official as saying that the U.S. administration will issue a decision to suspend the “Caesar Act” for 180 days and will urge Congress to repeal the law permanently in the coming period in order to support economic growth in Syria, which was announced immediately after the end of the Trump-Sharaa meeting.
The American official pointed out that Syria will announce its accession to the international coalition to defeat ISIS and will cooperate with the United States in eliminating the remnants of the organization and stopping the flow of foreign fighters.
Trump had stated days before Sharaa’s visit that he had taken steps to lift sanctions on Syria, expressing his belief that Sharaa is doing a good job, while the Syrian Ministry of Information confirmed that the visit aims to lift economic sanctions, especially the “Caesar Act,” to support economic recovery and encourage investments.
During his visit to the United States, President Sharaa met with the Director of the International Monetary Fund and discussed economic reform in Syria with her. He also held an expanded meeting with the Syrian community in Washington, in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, and the U.S. envoy, Tom Braak.
Sharaa stressed during the meeting the importance of the connection of Syrians abroad with their homeland, praising their efforts and initiatives, according to SANA news agency.
Commenting on the visit, Syria’s envoy to the United Nations, Ibrahim Alabi, described the meeting between Sharaa and Trump as a “historical achievement.”
