Washington/Cairo, 24 May 2025 (dpa/MIA) - The US government has begun suspending sanctions on Syria in a bid to encourage new investment and support the country's path towards peace and stability, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has announced.

"As President [Donald] Trump promised, the Treasury Department and the State Department are implementing authorizations to encourage new investment into Syria," Bessent said on Friday.

"Syria must also continue to work towards becoming a stable country that is at peace, and today's actions will hopefully put the country on a path to a bright, prosperous and stable future."

War-shattered Syria welcomed the US government's decision.

Syria "considers it a positive step in the right direction to alleviate the humanitarian and economic suffering in the country," the Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on the social media platform X on Saturday.

"Syria confirms that the phase ahead will be a phase of rebuilding what the former regime has destroyed and restoring its natural status in the region and the world," the statement added. 

Last week, Trump announced the lifting of all US sanctions on Syria.

During a visit to Saudi Arabia, Trump met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, marking the first encounter between leaders of the two countries in 25 years.

The sanctions were imposed in response to former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's brutal crackdown on protesters in 2011, and the violence his regime carried out against civilians during the ensuing civil war.

Al-Assad was overthrown in December by an Islamist-led rebel alliance commanded by al-Sharaa, who was later appointed interim president.

According to the US Treasury Department, the easing of restrictions will allow new economic activity, including financial services and transactions related to petroleum and petroleum products originating in Syria.

Dealings with the new Syrian government, al-Sharaa, the Syrian central bank and other financial institutions will also be permitted, the department said.

However, sanctions remain in place on transactions that benefit Russia, Iran or North Korea.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said sanctions would be suspended for 180 days to ensure restrictions don't block stability-focused investment in Syria.

"These waivers will facilitate the provision of electricity, energy, water and sanitation, and enable a more effective humanitarian response across Syria," Rubio said in a statement.

Despite the fall of al-Assad, instability in Syria persists. Clashes have recently erupted between the Druze minority and Sunni militias, and in early March the transitional government launched military operations in response to attacks by al-Assad loyalists.

Photo: MIA archive