NEW YORK: US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz begins a trip to Jordan and Israel on Saturday to promote President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, the US Mission to the UN said, casting the visit as part of Washington’s push to advance regional stability and support the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2803.
Waltz will travel from Dec. 6–10 and is expected to meet senior leaders in both countries. In Jordan, he will hold talks with King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on bilateral cooperation and Amman’s role in facilitating humanitarian aid to Gaza.
He will also meet humanitarian groups and review efforts to support Syrian refugees, the mission said.
In Israel, Waltz is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog to discuss US-Israel coordination at the UN and shared security priorities. He will tour Israel’s northern and southern borders for briefings on the implementation of Resolution 2803, visit the Kerem Shalom crossing to assess aid flows into Gaza, and review operations of the Coordination and Monitoring Mechanism for Gaza.
Waltz will also meet Acting UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ramiz Alakbarov to discuss humanitarian work and efforts to advance peace.
The mission said the trip reflects Trump’s commitment to ending regional conflicts and securing a “peaceful and prosperous future” for the Middle East.
US envoy Waltz begins regional trip to promote Trump Gaza peace plan
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US envoy Waltz begins regional trip to promote Trump Gaza peace plan
- High-level talks in Jordan, Israel part of Washington’s push to advance regional stability, US mission says
- Envoy will also meet humanitarian groups and review efforts to support Syrian refugees
Syria’s growth accelerates as sanctions ease, refugees return
- Economy grows much faster than World Bank’s 1% estimate, fueling plans for currency’s relaunch
NEW YORK: Syria’s economy is growing much faster than the World Bank’s 1 percent estimate for 2025 as refugees flow back after the end of a 14-year civil war, fueling plans for the relaunch of the country’s currency and efforts to build a new Middle East financial hub, central bank Governor AbdulKader Husrieh has said.
Speaking via video link at a conference in New York, Husrieh also said he welcomed a deal with Visa to establish digital payment systems and added that the country is working with the International Monetary Fund to develop methods to accurately measure economic data to reflect the resurgence.
The Syrian central bank chief, who is helping guide the war-torn country’s reintegration into the global economy after the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime about a year ago, described the repeal of many US sanctions against Syria as “a miracle.”
The US Treasury on Nov. 10 announced a 180-day extension of the suspension of the so-called Caesar sanctions against Syria; lifting them entirely requires approval by the US Congress.
Husrieh said that based on discussions with US lawmakers, he expects the sanctions to be repealed by the end of 2025, ending “the last episode of the sanctions.”
“Once this happens, this will give comfort to our potential correspondent banks about dealing with Syria,” he said.
Husrieh also said that Syria was working to revamp regulations aimed at combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism, which he said would provide further assurances to international lenders.
Syria’s central bank has recently organized workshops with banks from the US, Turkiye, Jordan and Australia to discuss due diligence in reviewing transactions, he added.
Husrieh said that Syria is preparing to launch a new currency in eight note denominations and confirmed plans to remove two zeroes from them in a bid to restore confidence in the battered pound.
“The new currency will be a signal and symbol for this financial liberation,” Husrieh said. “We are glad that we are working with Visa and Mastercard,” Husrieh said.
