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 hopes to improve relations between the two countries.
“We trust that he is the leader who will bring peace to the Middle East and restore stability to the region,” he said.
The United States, 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 led to a civil war.
In early January, Washington issued a sanctions waiver for transactions with ruling institutions in Syria for six months in an effort to facilitate the flow of humanitarian assistance.
Syria welcomed the move but has urged a complete lifting of sanctions to support its recovery.