September 25, Kathmandu – The United States has removed Syria from its list of countries that promote terrorism after 47 years. The U.S. administration has stated that the purpose of this decision is to facilitate foreign investment in Syria and reintegrate the country into the global economy. With Syria removed, only three countries remain on the U.S. list: Iran, North Korea, and Cuba.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that this decision will pave the way for Syria to move towards economic prosperity. The proposal to delist Syria was first introduced in July of last year. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Baesert also welcomed the decision, stating, “This step will help bring significant investment into Syria, which will strengthen both political and economic stability.”
Recently, the Trump administration has increased contact with Syria’s new president, Ahmad al-Shara. Al-Shara was formerly a leader of a militant organization and was once the target of a U.S. reward offer. He has led a group connected to al-Qaeda. Last year, the U.S. removed the Islamic organization Tahrir al-Sham, led by Ahmad al-Shara, from its list of terrorist organizations.
