Pakistan has welcomed the United States’s decision to raise all sanctions to Syria, qualifying the move as a “fundamental step towards regional stability,” according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, on his Gulf tour, met with the Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday. Despite the concerns within the sectors of his administration about the old leading ties of Syria with Al Qaeda, Trump said Tuesday during a speech in Riyadh that he would raise the sanctions to Syria in an important political change.
“Pakistan has constantly advocated constructive commitment and dialogue. The flexibility of sanctions is expected to facilitate economic growth, improve access to essential services and support the reconstruction efforts of Syrian authorities,” reads the declaration of FO.
Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment towards unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, the statement said: “Pakistan supports a resolution owned by Syria and Syrian property.”
“We praise the commitment of all countries, in particular the United States, Turkiye, Saudi and Qatar Arabia, working constructively towards a Pacific Syria,” reads the statement.
The decision is a great impulse for Sharaa, who has been struggling to put the country under the control of the Damascus government after demolishing former President Bashar al-Assad in December.
According Al Jazeera, The United States was one of the many countries that sanctioned Syria under the Al-Assad regime (1971–2024). He described Syria as a “state sponsor of terrorism” in 1979, triggering weapons and financial restrictions.
The sanctions expanded in 2004 and intensified after the war of 2011, pointing to individuals linked to the regime, freezing assets, prohibiting US investments and restricting oil imports.
The United States also offered a $ 10 million reward for the current leader of Syria, Al-Sharaa, and appointed its old group, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, a “foreign terrorist organization.”
