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

CAIRO (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 looked forward to improved relations between the two countries.

“We are convinced that he is the leader who will bring peace to the Middle East and restore stability to the region,” he said.

The US, Britain, the European Union and others imposed harsh sanctions on Syria after ousted President Bashar al-Assad cracked down on pro-democracy protests in 2011 that turned into civil war.

In early January, Washington issued a six-month waiver from sanctions on transactions with Syrian government institutions in an effort to ease the flow of humanitarian aid.

Syria welcomed the move but called for a full lifting of sanctions to support its recovery.