Syria's de facto leader congratulates Trump, looks forward to improving relations

Qatar's Minister of State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi visits Damascus

FILE PHOTO: Syria's de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, walks on the day he meets with Qatar's Minister of State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, after the ousting of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, in Damascus, Syria, December 23, 2024. REUTERS/Ammar Awad/File Photo

Source: REUTERS

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

"We are confident that he is the leader to bring peace to the Middle East and restore stability to the region," he said.

The U.S., 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 spiralled 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.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters