The measures will “support Syria’s economic recovery following the fall of Assad,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s official spokesperson said Thursday. The lifted sanctions, which come into force Friday, “aim to promote regional stability and encourage the return of Syrian refugees,” he added.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa told the New York Times lifting sanctions would prevent another civil war and keep the government functioning.
“Any chaos in Syria will damage not just neighboring countries but the whole world,” Al-Sharaa said.
The British government previously unfroze sanctions on Syria’s central bank and oil companies in March as it tries to build closer relations with Damascus.