US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that the United States has begun the formal process of removing Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Rubio said in a statement that he had formally notified Congress of the start of this process, with the delisting set to take effect within 45 days unless rejected by legislators — an outcome considered unlikely.
He said that lifting sanctions on Syria would open the door to international trade and investment, give Syria the opportunity to rebuild, and open a new chapter for the Syrian people.
He added that a stable, unified Syria living in peace with itself and its neighbours would benefit not only the region but the entire world.
President Trump had informed Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa during their meeting in Ankara on Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit that Syria's name would be removed from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism.