Canada eases sanctions on Syria and appoints ambassador

Ottawa also announces $58 million for humanitarian assistance

Canada Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said easing sanctions on Syria would help the delivery of aid. AP

Canada has announced plans to ease financial sanctions on Syria and to appoint an ambassador, as Damascus seeks international support for reconstruction following 13 years of civil war.

The Canadian government also said it is providing $58 million in new funding for humanitarian assistance.

Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, said that sanctions would be relaxed for six months initially in what they called a “period of transition” for Syria.

The move aimed “to support democratisation, stabilisation and the delivery of aid”, the ministers said.

Many western nations, including Canada, imposed a range of sanctions on Syria under former president Bashar Al Assad, who was toppled in December by rebel troops led by Hayat Tahrir Al Sham. HTS now leads an interim government under new President Ahmad Al Shara.

“These sanctions had been used as a tool against the Assad regime and easing them will help to enable the stable and sustainable delivery of aid, support local redevelopment efforts, and contribute to a swift recovery for Syria,” the ministers said.

Ottawa also named an ambassador, Stefanie McCollum, who currently serves as Canada's envoy to Lebanon but will now act simultaneously as non-resident ambassador to Syria.

A merchant counts Syrian pound notes. Syria's government is seeking foreign investment. AFP

Canada said it would begin issuing permits valid for six months allowing Canadians to carry out financial transactions and services that are otherwise prohibited if they support democratisation, stabilisation and the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

It said it would allow funds to be sent through certain banks in the country, such as Syria’s Central Bank.

Easing sanctions displayed Ottawa's “commitment to deliver much-needed humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people and to support a transition to an inclusive and peaceful future”, the ministers said.

“This funding will support experienced humanitarian partners to deliver life-saving assistance, including food, protection services, water, sanitation and hygiene services, and health services. This brings Canada’s total humanitarian assistance to the Syria crisis this year to more than $100 million,” they said.

But the ministers also expressed concern over sectarian violence in Syria's coastal areas over the past week. More than 1,300 people have been killed, mostly members of the Alawite community to which Mr Al Assad belongs, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitor that tracks fighting in Syria.

“We utterly condemn these atrocities and call on the interim authorities to take all necessary measures to end the violence,” the ministers said.

“Civilians must be protected, the dignity and human rights of all religious and ethnic groups must be upheld, and perpetrators must be held accountable.”

The new Syrian government has pledged to protect religious and ethnic minorities, with Mr Al Shara vowing on Sunday to hold anyone involved in the killing of civilians accountable.

“Canada reaffirms its commitment to support a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political transition that reflects the country’s ethnic and religious diversity,” the ministers said. “We call on all parties to prioritise the work toward de-escalation and national reconciliation and prevent the country from descending into fragmentation and violence.”