Syria’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday welcomed a vote by the US House of Representatives a day earlier in favor of repealing the Caesar Act, under which the United States imposed sanctions on former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime, describing the move as a “pivotal milestone” that opens a new path for cooperation.
In a statement, the ministry said the House vote, along with an anticipated vote in the US Senate next week, lays the groundwork for “a phase of tangible improvement in import activity, the availability of basic goods and medical supplies, and the creation of suitable conditions for reconstruction projects and the revitalization of the national economy.”
“This development represents a pivotal milestone in rebuilding trust and opening a new path for cooperation, paving the way for broader economic recovery and the return of opportunities that the Syrian people were denied for years as a result of sanctions,” the statement added.
The ministry expressed hope that the forthcoming Senate vote would lead to “the completion of the full repeal of the restrictive framework and the opening of new horizons for cooperation” between Syria and the United States.
The US House of Representatives has approved the repeal of sanctions imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act, a step that effectively clears the way to close the sanctions file and enables international and financial institutions to resume dealings with Damascus.
The move came after the House approved the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes provisions repealing the Caesar Act sanctions. The NDAA is expected to be passed by the end of the year and signed into law by President Donald Trump.
The Caesar Act, enacted in 2019, imposed sweeping sanctions on Syria targeting individuals, companies and institutions linked to Assad, who ruled the country from 2000 until his ouster in 2024 by armed opposition factions led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, the country’s current president.
