Damascus welcomes lifting of sweeping U.S. sanctions

Syria’s foreign ministry on Friday welcomed the permanent ending by the U.S. of the so-called Caesar sanctions, paving the way for the return of investment to the war-ravaged nation.

A foreign ministry statement “welcomed” the step, calling it “an entrance to the phase of reconstruction and development.”

The ministry called for Syrian businesspeople and foreign investors to “explore investment opportunities and participate in reconstruction”. It also urged “all Syrians in the country and abroad to contribute in national recovery efforts.”

Earlier, the U.S. Congress permanently ended the sanctions imposed on Syria under Bashar Assad, who was ousted in December last year. The Caesar Act, named after an anonymous photographer who documented atrocities in Assad’s prisons, severely restricted investment and cut off Syria from the international banking system.