Syrian HTS Assures US of No Hostile Intentions Toward ‘israel’
Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, representing the ruling HTS-led administration, has declared that his nation poses no threat to the occupying Israeli regime. He has also urged Western powers to lift the sanctions currently imposed.
Syria has responded to the United States’ conditions for potential sanctions relief, asserting that it has met the majority of the requirements, but indicating that some aspects necessitate “mutual understandings” with Washington. This information comes from a letter acquired by Reuters.
The letter primarily asserts that Syria will not pose a threat to Israel.
The United States had set forth a series of eight conditions for Syria, which included the elimination of all remaining chemical weapons stockpiles and the assurance that foreign nationals would not be appointed to high-level government positions.
Despite Washington’s issuance of a six-month exemption in January aimed at facilitating humanitarian aid amidst sanctions, the impact has been notably restricted. In exchange for compliance with all stipulated conditions, the US proposed extending the suspension to two years, with the potential for additional exemptions.
A US official, Natasha Franceschi, conveyed the stipulations to Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani during a meeting held on March 18 in Brussels, as initially reported by Reuters. In his maiden address to the United Nations Security Council, Shibani highlighted that Syria is taking action on several of the demands, particularly concerning the country’s chemical weapons reserves and efforts to locate missing American citizens.
In a four-page letter addressed to the United States, Syrian authorities have committed to setting up a liaison office within the country’s Foreign Ministry aimed at aiding efforts to locate missing American journalist Austin Tice. The document also outlines cooperative measures with international arms watchdogs concerning chemical disarmament efforts.
