By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – US President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order terminating Syria sanctions, according to the White House website.
Trump “signed a historic Executive Order terminating the Syria sanctions program to support the country’s path to stability and peace,” the White House said in a fact sheet.
“The Order removes sanctions on Syria while maintaining sanctions on Bashar al-Assad. The Order permits the relaxation of export controls on certain goods and waives restrictions on certain foreign assistance to Syria,” said the White House.
White House website noted that under the order, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is directed to “explore avenues for sanctions relief at the United Nations to support stability in Syria.”
Syria has been designated a State Sponsor of Terrorism by the United States since December 1979.
The sanctions and restrictions were added in May 2004 with the issuance of Executive Order 13338, while in May 2011, the US government imposed additional sanctions targeting key sectors of the Syrian economy, Xinhua news agency reported.
Trump announced that he planned to lift sanctions on Syria in remarks to an investment forum in Riyadh on May 13.
