LONDON: The removal of tough US sanctions against Syria moved a step closer on Wednesday when the US Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of a sweeping defense bill.
The National Defense Authorization Act, which sets out plans for a record $901 billion in annual military spending, includes measures to repeal the financial restrictions placed on Damascus as part of the “Caesar Act.”
The sanctions were imposed in 2020 against former President Bashar Assad’s regime over human rights abuses carried out during the civil war in the country.
Assad was driven from power a year ago and the new government has been working to end Syria’s international isolation, winning the support of President Donald Trump for its efforts. Removal of the US restrictions on trade and investment is seen as a crucial step in helping the country recover from the effects of the devastating 13-year conflict.
The legislation will now proceed to the president, and the White House has said he will sign it into law.
Syria’s foreign minister, Asaad Al-Shaibani, welcomed the progress of the bill.
“We express our sincere gratitude to the US Senate for its support of the Syrian people through its vote to repeal the Caesar Act,” he wrote on social media platform X.
“We consider this step a positive development that opens new horizons for cooperation and partnership between our country and the world.”
The Senate backed the bill by 77 votes to 20, with strong support from both Republicans and Democrats. When the House of Representatives passed the bill last week, Syria’s foreign ministry described it as a pivotal moment for the country.
Syria’s new president, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, who led opposition forces in the offensive that finally succeeded in toppling Assad, traveled to Washington in September to meet Trump. After their talks, the US president said his administration would do “everything we can to make Syria successful.”
Trump had said in May that he planned to lift all sanctions on Syria, and many have already been removed or suspended.
The Caesar Act targeted individuals, companies and institutions linked to the Assad regime, and prevented foreign entities from funding them. It was named after the code name given to a Syrian military photographer who smuggled out of the country thousands of photos documenting the Assad regime’s war crimes.
Removing the restrictions will allow foreign investment to flow into a country in which the World Bank estimates the cost of rebuilding will be more than $200 billion.
The US legislation also requires the White House to confirm that Syria’s government is fighting Daesh and upholding the rights of religious and ethnic minorities.
The National Defense Authorization Act, which covers the fiscal year 2026, provides large sums to aid Europe’s defense, including $800 million for Ukraine and $175 million to support Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia’s defenses, Reuters reported.
