UN Security Council votes to lift sanctions on Syrian President al-Sharaai

(Patria) - The United Nations Security Council has voted on a US resolution to lift sanctions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaai, ahead of his visit to the White House next week.

"(The Council) decides that Ahmed al-Sharaa... and (Minister of Interior) Anas Hasan Khattab be removed from the ISIL and Al-Qaeda sanctions list," the resolution, approved by fourteen council members, stated, AFP reported. China abstained.

The official lifting of sanctions on Sharaai is symbolic as they were lifted each time he needed to travel outside Syria in his capacity as the country's leader. Asset freezes and arms embargoes will also be lifted.

Nevertheless, Syria welcomed the move, with Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani writing on social media platform X: "Syria expresses its gratitude to the United States and friendly nations for their support of Syria and its people."

US President Donald Trump will host Sharaai on November 10, after stating that the former jihadist had made "good progress" towards establishing peace in Syria.

Washington's ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, said Sharaai's government "is working hard to meet its obligations in fighting terrorism and narcotics, eliminating all remnants of chemical weapons, and promoting regional security and stability."

While this will be Sharaai's first visit to Washington, it will be his second visit to the United States after a significant trip to the UN in September, where the former jihadist became the first Syrian president in decades to address the UN General Assembly in New York.

In May, the interim leader, whose rebel forces overthrew long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, met Trump for the first time in Riyadh during the US president's regional tour.

Previously linked to Al-Qaeda, Sharaai's group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), was removed from the list of terrorist groups by Washington in July.

Syria's New Image

Decisions to lift sanctions are usually made by the Council's Sanctions Committee behind closed doors, but they require unanimity, whereas a full council vote does not.

China, which abstained, "expressed legitimate concerns regarding the issue of counter-terrorism, especially (foreign terrorist fighters) in Syria, and put forward many amendment proposals," said China's UN Ambassador Fu Cong. "However, (Washington) did not fully accommodate the opinions of all members," he added.

Since taking power, the new Syrian leadership has sought to distance itself from its own violent extremist past and present a moderate image more palatable to ordinary Syrians and foreign powers.

The Syrian president will discuss issues including the lifting of remaining sanctions, reconstruction, and counter-terrorism when he visits Washington this month, Damascus announced on Sunday.

Syria's UN Ambassador Ibrahim Olabi welcomed the vote.

"At its core, the resolution reflects the will of Syrian men and women. It reflects their will to return our country to its rightful place among nations. It reflects our will to move forward with confidence and hope towards building a new Syria," he said.

"Today, for the first time in so many years, the council has united."

Syria and Israel technically remain at war, but have opened direct negotiations after Assad was overthrown by an Islamist-led coalition last December.

Trump has expressed hope that Syria will join other Arab nations that have normalized relations with Israel under the so-called Abraham Accords.

A Syrian official told AFP earlier this year that Syria expects to finalize security and military agreements with Israel this year, which would be less than a year since Assad's overthrow.