Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shibani appeared on April 25, at the United Nations headquarters in New York and to participate in a UN Security Council briefing, according to the Associated Press.
This meeting marked the first public appearance by a senior Syrian official in the US since the ousting of Bashar Assad.
The new Syrian government has been attempting to build strong relations with Western countries in order to alleviate the harsh sanctions of US and its allies imposed during Asaad’s rule.
This week, a Syrian delegation headed to the US to take part in World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings in Washington and UN meetings in New York.
However, it is not obvious whether Trump administration officials would meet with al-Shibani during the visit.
Importantly, Washington has not officially recognized the current Al-Sharaa’s Syrian government yet.
Moreover, the US has not lifted the sanctions, although it has provided temporary relief to some restrictions.
New Gains
The British government has recently lifted sanctions on Syria’s interior and defense ministries marking the latest easing of sanctions following Assad’s fall from power.
Syria’s General Intelligence Directorate, Air Force Intelligence Agency and National Security Bureau were also emitted from the list of entities subject to financial sanctions by the U.K, according to Reuters.
Such sanctions were primarily due to the repression of civilian population or “supporting or benefiting from the Syrian regime.”
In this regard, Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa stated that lifting sanctions would prevent another civil war in Syria.
“Any chaos in Syria will damage not just neighboring countries but the whole world,” Al-Sharaa said.
Currently, the new Syrian government seeks to restore relations with Western and Arab countries and build new diplomatic relations to boost its stability and security.
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