Today's Edition
NEW YORK (REUTERS)
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa renewed his call on Monday for Washington to formally lift US sanctions imposed under the 2019 Caesar Act while visiting New York to attend the first UN General Assembly of a Syrian leader in nearly six decades.
US President Donald Trump met Sharaa in Riyadh in May and ordered most sanctions lifted but the legislation authorising them remains US law.
Speaking at a summit on the sidelines of the General Assembly, Sharaa said the sanctions imposed on the previous Syrian leadership were no longer justified.
"We have a big mission to build the economy," Sharaa told retired General David Petraeus, who commanded US forces during the Iraq War, in an interview conducted on a stage.
"Syria has a diverse workforce. They love to work, it's in its genes. So don't be worried, just lift the sanctions and you will see the results."
Sharaa, the first Syrian president to participate in the General Assembly since 1967, is expected to deliver his first address at the General Assembly, which opens its 80th session on Tuesday.
