During a visit to Saudi Arabia, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a plan to raise a major policy change by Washington after a 14 -year civil war.
The country is distinguished by the European Union sanctions on the United States and the conflict, the designation as the state sponsors of terrorism in 1979 and close ties between Damascus and Iran.
These curb blocked exports, freezing assets and banned for global payment systems, which further reduced the economy eradicated by war. The sanctions increased the humanitarian crises so much that the United Nations estimate pushed below 90% of the Syrian poverty line.
Trump agreed for Iran and Hizbullah to lift the sanctions despite opposition from Israel on national security basis about Syrian’s previous relationships.
What did Trump announce?
Trump said that there is a new Syrian government “which will expect Suk tree to stabilize the country and maintain peace.” Therefore, he would “order the termination of sanctions against Syria to give them a chance to greatness.”
Speaking during a three-day visit to the Gulf Arab states, the US President said that this was the “time to shine” before the war-hit country before making a call to “show us something” to the new leadership in Damascus.
Trump said the decision interacted with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
The two leaders have been pushed to change the decline of the rule of dictator Bashar Asad at the end of the year, with rival group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmed al-Shara to lead an interim government.
Trump said the restrictions had fulfilled his purpose, but the country had time to move forward.
On hearing this news, ordinary Syrians became happy on the streets of many cities and asked to celebrate fireworks.
American MPs from both sides gave their support to relieve the sanctions along with the United Nations.
Trump’s decision was welcomed by the Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Shara, who was from the years of the leaders of the Al Qaeda’s office wing in the Syrian struggle and who met the US President’s letter song on Wednesday.
Since he seized power in December, Al-Shara has fought to bring all the countries under his control due to the ongoing communal violence.
How will it help by lifting restrictions?
Along with Iran, North Korea and Cuba, Syria is one of the most economically banned countries. The new leadership faces the hard work of the country’s reconstruction, which has been left in the ruins.
The destroyed infrastructure, including roads, hospitals and power grid, disrupts the provision of infrastructure.
Economic reforms will require large -scale investment to revive industries, while millions of people displaced by struggle at home and abroad will need to be resettled.
The challenge of the challenge earlier this year with the United Nations’ development programs (UNDP) is immense, earlier this year, the Syrian economy lost $ 800 billion (€ 712 billion) during the war.
In January, a report by the Middle East Council on global affairs cited the need for $ 400 to 600 billion dollars for reconstruction, while others have kept the figure close to $ 1 trillion.
Approval will allow agencies to speed up their delivery of food, medicine and other important supplies, which require the most.
So this rich neighbors will make large investments for Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, smoothly smoothly smooth to promote the economic reforms that stabilize the region.
Natasha Hall, a senior companion for the Middle East at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, said many countries had harassed bees from the US reaction to the new Syrian leadership to trade with the US reaction and “chlaryming” for approval to remove.
“It will be beneficial all around. Countries such as Lebanon, Jordan and others would be able to trade with Syria. This was a boon for their economies,” the hall told DW.
Turkey has expressed interest in helping the reconstruction of Syria’s oil and gas sector and is likely to make significant investments especially in the region of northern Syria under its influence.
Prior to the war, Germany helped in the Finance infrastructure Projects, through its state-rommed investment and development bank KFW and set up the Syrian Recovery Trust Fund (SRTF) during the conflict.
The port of Latakia near France Alred is a long -term deal to modernize and operate the port of Syria’s main sea gateway, which is likely to have other investments.
It is not clear whether the US and the European Union want to announce the plan to invest. However, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has indicated its readiness to assist the reconstruction of Syria.
Therefore, the United Nations and the World Bank are expected to lead funding efforts for housing, health care, education and utilities.
The role of the Syrian migrants, which will contribute significantly through remittance, funding community projects and withdrawal expertise, including doctors and engineers, therefore will be important.
Anwar al-Qaseem, Economic Analyst financial Times Business Daily, believes that even in the most optimistic scenario, the Syrian economy will require a miracle to recover.
“It would not be an exaggeration to say that the Syrian economy, which is 85% of its value, will require between 20 and 25 years, which would be to return to half of the level of war,” Al-Qaseem told DW.
How soon should the restrictions be informal?
Trump’s announcement was an easy part. US authorities will now need to determine which restrictions can be lifted quickly and what can be subject to the terms laid on the new leadership of Syrian.
CSIS hall stated that “many layers of sanctions” were imposed on the Assad regime as well as on the “insignations of terrorism” and predicted that all the subjects would not be removed immediately.
“It will take time,” he told DW, “Satan wants to live in details.”
A Syrian academic, advisor and professor, Ziad Ayub Arabish, in the faculty of economics at Damascus University, believes that the US Treasury department will now decide the suspension.
He told DW that this is not clear Whether the relief of restrictions will be limited to the work of specific areas and support groups, or whether it will include the ither, including the central bank of Syria to be able to re -work with international banks.
Arabash said that if the European Union quickly lifted its sanctions, Syrian chanting would be further helped. At the same time, he warned that corruption and weak government institutions would now be the biggest challenges for the reconstruction effect.
A search Istanbul -based Jurous Center for Studies and Development predicted that Syrian economy would turn significantly without restrictions, Reconstruction of oil and gas, raw materials, communication and technology.
Edited by: Uwe Hessler
