Syria foreign minister says removing sanctions ‘key’ to restoring stability

Asaad al-Shaibani besides says that Syria’s caller constitution volition correspond each of the country’s communities.

Syria’s caller overseas curate has said that his state hopes to travel successful the footsteps of economical powerhouses similar Singapore and Saudi Arabia, arsenic it begins to dilatory rebuild aft astir 14 years of civil war.

“We request the assistance of the planetary assemblage to assistance america successful this caller experiment,” Asaad al-Shaibani told the World Economic Forum’s yearly gathering successful Davos, Switzerland connected Wednesday. He stressed that Syria’s modulation authorities is already moving connected vigor partnerships with respective Gulf states.

He besides promised that Syria’s caller constitution volition correspond each of the country’s communities and reiterated calls for the easing of planetary sanctions, which proceed to cripple Syria’s economy.

Speaking astatine a televised lawsuit with erstwhile British Prime Minister Tony Blair, al-Shaibani said that “the large situation is economical sanctions. We inherited a batch of problems from the Assad regime… but removing economical sanctions is cardinal for the stableness of Syria.”

Though immoderate Western nations person moved to reconstruct ties with Damascus since erstwhile President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster, they stay cautious astir the country’s caller rulers, led by the erstwhile rebel radical Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

“All the clip they inquire america astir however to warrant the rights of [this or] that radical and however to warrant the rights of the pistillate – successful Syria each of america volition beryllium nether the Constitution and nether the regularisation of law,” al-Shaibani said.

A committee of experts volition beryllium formed to draught a caller constitution – a process that could instrumentality up to 4 years – and volition comprise each “the antithetic groups of Syria” including women, al-Shaibani said.

Earlier this month, al-Shaibani made trips to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, during which helium discussed bolstering ties and trade.

Qatar has pledged to initially proviso Syria with 200 megawatts of energy and gradually summation the amount, the Gulf country’s premier curate said during a caller sojourn to Damascus.