Syria’s Sharaa Congratulates Trump, Looks Forward to Improving Relations 

A handout picture released by Syria's transitional government shows the country's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa waiting for the arrival of Spain's foreign minister at the presidential palace in Damascus on January 16, 2025. (Syria's Transitional Government / AFP)
A handout picture released by Syria's transitional government shows the country's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa waiting for the arrival of Spain's foreign minister at the presidential palace in Damascus on January 16, 2025. (Syria's Transitional Government / AFP)
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Syria’s Sharaa Congratulates Trump, Looks Forward to Improving Relations 

A handout picture released by Syria's transitional government shows the country's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa waiting for the arrival of Spain's foreign minister at the presidential palace in Damascus on January 16, 2025. (Syria's Transitional Government / AFP)
A handout picture released by Syria's transitional government shows the country's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa waiting for the arrival of Spain's foreign minister at the presidential palace in Damascus on January 16, 2025. (Syria's Transitional Government / AFP)

Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa congratulated US President Donald Trump on his inauguration in a statement on Monday, saying he is looking forward to improving relations between the two countries.

"The past decade has brought immense suffering to Syria, with the conflict devastating our nation and destabilizing the region. We are confident that he is the leader to bring peace to the Middle East and restore stability to the region".

The US, Britain, the European Union and others imposed tough sanctions on Syria after a crackdown by ousted President Bashar al-Assad on pro-democracy protests in 2011 that spiraled into civil war.

In early January, Washington issued a sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria for six months in an effort to ease the flow of humanitarian assistance.

Syria welcomed the move, but has urged a complete lifting of sanctions to support its recovery.



EU's Kallas Says Happy to Read about Macron's Syria Sanctions Relief Proposal

 EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas speaks during a joint press conference with Poland's Foreign Affairs Minister at the EU Foreign Ministers informal meeting in Gymnich format, in Warsaw, Poland, on May 8, 2025. (AFP)
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas speaks during a joint press conference with Poland's Foreign Affairs Minister at the EU Foreign Ministers informal meeting in Gymnich format, in Warsaw, Poland, on May 8, 2025. (AFP)
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EU's Kallas Says Happy to Read about Macron's Syria Sanctions Relief Proposal

 EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas speaks during a joint press conference with Poland's Foreign Affairs Minister at the EU Foreign Ministers informal meeting in Gymnich format, in Warsaw, Poland, on May 8, 2025. (AFP)
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas speaks during a joint press conference with Poland's Foreign Affairs Minister at the EU Foreign Ministers informal meeting in Gymnich format, in Warsaw, Poland, on May 8, 2025. (AFP)

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Thursday that she was happy to read that France's President Emmanuel Macron had proposed sanctions relief for Syria.

Macron said on Wednesday he would urge the EU to end sanctions on Syria when they come up for renewal in June.

"We have currently the ongoing discussions about the sanctions relief on Syria, and I was happy to read that actually President Macron is in favor of the relief of sanctions," Kallas told reporters in Warsaw.