Syria's new authorities have agreed to help the United States locate and return Americans who went missing in the war-torn country, a US envoy said on Sunday.
"The new Syrian government has agreed to assist the USA in locating and returning USA citizens or their remains," US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack wrote on X, describing it as a "powerful step forward".
"The families of Austin Tice, Majd Kamalmaz, and Kayla Mueller must have closure," he added, referring to American citizens who had gone missing or been killed during Syria's devastating civil war that erupted in 2011.
Tice was working as a freelance journalist for Agence France-Presse, The Washington Post, and other outlets when he was detained at a checkpoint in August 2012.
Kamalmaz, a Syrian-American psychotherapist, was believed to have died after being detained under the Assad government in 2017.
Mueller was an aid worker kidnapped by ISIS, which announced her death in February 2015.
The announcement came a day after the United States formally lifted sanctions on Syria, marking the start of a new chapter in the previously fraught ties between the two countries.
"President (Donald) Trump has made it clear that bringing home USA citizens or honoring, with dignity, their remains is a major priority everywhere," said Barrack, who also serves as the US ambassador to Türkiye.
"The new Syrian Government will aid us in this commitment," he added.
A Syrian source aware of the talks between the two countries told AFP there were 11 other names on Washington's list, all of them Syrian-Americans.
Sunday’s meeting mainly focused on following up with the implementation of the sanctions waiver, with Sharaa telling Barrack that sanctions remain a heavy burden on Syrians and hinder economic recovery efforts, Syrian state news agency SANA reported.
They also discussed means to support foreign investments in Syria, especially in the fields of energy and infrastructure, according to SANA.
The Syrian side expressed readiness to provide the necessary facilitation to attract investors and contribute in reconstruction efforts.
