US Lists Demands at UN as Syria Seeks Sanctions Relief

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani raises the new Syrian flag during a flag raising ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on April 25, 2025. (AFP)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani raises the new Syrian flag during a flag raising ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on April 25, 2025. (AFP)
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US Lists Demands at UN as Syria Seeks Sanctions Relief

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani raises the new Syrian flag during a flag raising ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on April 25, 2025. (AFP)
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani raises the new Syrian flag during a flag raising ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on April 25, 2025. (AFP)

The United States publicly spelled out at the United Nations on Friday the steps it wants Syria to take before Washington will change its stance toward the country, as Syria's foreign minister appealed for tough sanctions to be lifted.

Reuters reported last month that Washington had handed Syria a list of conditions it wants Damascus to fulfill in exchange for partial sanctions relief. On Friday, acting US Ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea listed them publicly.

She said the US wants Syria's authorities to fully renounce and suppress terrorism, adopt a policy of non-aggression to neighboring states, exclude foreign terrorist fighters from any official roles, prevent Iran and its proxies from exploiting Syrian territory, destroy weapons of mass destruction, assist in the recovery of US citizens disappeared in Syria, and ensure the security and freedoms of all Syrians.

"The United States continues to observe the actions of the interim authorities and will determine our actions based on a pattern of behavior. The core leadership must move beyond its past," Shea told the 15-member Security Council.

Former President Bashar al-Assad was toppled in December by a lightning opposition offensive after a brutal 14-year civil war and there is now a new leadership in Damascus. The newly adopted Syrian flag was raised at the UN on Friday.

SYRIA SEEKS TO SHOW PROGRESS

Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, addressing the Security Council for the first time, sought to show that Syria was addressing some of the demands listed by the US and appealed for sanctions to be lifted.

"Those who demand more from Syria are the same ones who insist on maintaining many sanctions imposed against it. These sanctions force Syria to play the role of an aid dependent country rather than being a partner in global economic growth," he told the Security Council.

Tough US sanctions imposed during Assad's rule remain in place. In January, the US issued a six-month exemption for some sanctions to encourage aid, but this has had limited effect and Reuters reported in February that efforts to pay public sector salaries with foreign financing had been hampered by uncertainty over whether it could breach US sanctions.

"These restrictive measures imposed against the previous regime prevent capital and expertise from entering our country while allowing illicit networks to flourish," al-Shaibani said.

He said Syria was combating ISIS militants, working constructively with the UN chemical weapons watchdog, uniting military factions, preserving state institutions and taking steps toward constitutional reform. It had also launched a national dialogue, he said.

"We will also announce genuine steps towards a national parliament that represents the Syrian people," al-Shaibani said.

He said Syria would establish a commission for missing persons and was ready to coordinate with the US to also search for Americans missing in Syria.



Syria’s Finance Minister Says Foreign Investors Welcome after US Sanctions Move

A girl holds a Syrian flag, as people celebrate after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Damascus, Syria May 13 , 2025. (Reuters)
A girl holds a Syrian flag, as people celebrate after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Damascus, Syria May 13 , 2025. (Reuters)
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Syria’s Finance Minister Says Foreign Investors Welcome after US Sanctions Move

A girl holds a Syrian flag, as people celebrate after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Damascus, Syria May 13 , 2025. (Reuters)
A girl holds a Syrian flag, as people celebrate after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Damascus, Syria May 13 , 2025. (Reuters)

Syrian Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh made a call to global investors on Wednesday to come do business with Syria after US President Donald Trump's surprise announcement that he would lift all of Washington's sanctions on the country.

"Syria today is a land of opportunities, with immense potential across every sector—from agriculture to oil, tourism, infrastructure, and transportation,” Barnieh said in an interview with Reuters at the Finance Ministry in Damascus.

"We envision a central role for the private sector in the new Syrian economy. The finance ministry's role is not to spend indiscriminately or act as a regulatory enforcer over businesses, but rather to enable and support growth."

A wall outside his office still bore the discolored outline of one of the many posters of former strongman Bashar al-Assad that used to hang in Syria's public buildings before his ousting by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) last year.

Changes in Syria have been swift since Assad fled to Russia in December of last year.

HTS commander Ahmed Sharaa was appointed president, formed a government and had quick success garnering Gulf Arab support and getting most European sanctions lifted.

The stunning turn of events was capped by a meeting between Sharaa and Trump in Riyadh on Wednesday after Trump's pledge to cease US sanctions imposed on Syria under Assad-family rule, measures widely seen as the biggest external obstacles to the country's economic recovery.

Trump has not set out a timeline for removal.

"One of the most critical outcomes of lifting sanctions would be Syria's reintegration into the global financial system," Barnieh said.

"This would allow us to restore financial flows and attract investments, which are urgently needed across all sectors,” he said, adding that Syrian authorities have already seen strong interest from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and several EU countries, among others.

He noted that the government is undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of public financial management, including reforms to the tax system, customs, and banking -- part of a broader effort to modernize an economy long burdened by an oversized public sector.

He also struck a cautioning tone, saying that the removal of sanctions would be just the first step in a years-long recovery for a country ruined by 14 years of war.

"The lifting of sanctions is not the final chapter," he said.

"We cannot afford to become complacent. We are entering a new phase that demands real results and visible progress on the ground."