Trump's sanctions relief will help Syrians to get their nation back on its feet

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara in Riyadh on Wednesday after announcing his intention to lift American sanctions on Syria's economy. AP

Even for a country that just a few months ago saw the sudden fall of a decades-long dictatorship, it was a moment few could have seen coming – and certainly not in the way it happened. Speaking in Riyadh on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said he would lift all sanctions on Syria at the request of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, adding that it was now Syria's “time to shine”. A standing ovation led by the Crown Prince followed as did scenes of jubilant Syrians celebrating in the streets of Damascus. The following morning, Mr Trump shook hands with Syria’s insurgent leader turned President, Ahmad Al Shara.

This is a pivotal moment for Syria and its people. Mr Trump’s decision to lift American sanctions could help revitalise the war-torn country’s ailing economy, stabilise its currency and offer Syrians from all walks of life the chance of a better future. Removing obstacles to Syria’s development also helps the country’s new government pursue the difficult work of reform and national renewal.

Not only is this decision prudent, but it is also virtuous. US sanctions were the product of years of misrule by the Assad dynasty. Now that the Assad era is over, retaining such punishing restrictions would have been an unjust mistake that risked hamstringing Syria’s new beginning. A revitalised economy – more jobs, new businesses and decent public services – is critical to enabling Syria’s people to get their country back on its feet. The necessity of removing such sanctions was long apparent to Syria’s Gulf neighbours; Saudi Arabia has played a key role in encouraging this policy shift and as far back as late December, a few weeks after Mr Al Shara’s fighters took Damascus, the GCC group of nations was calling for the lifting of sanctions.

Syrians celebrate President Trump's decision to remove US sanctions

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Mr Trump’s announcement is the latest step in a promising trajectory for Syria’s economy and wider engagement with outside world. On April 23, the International Monetary Fund appointed its first mission chief to Syria in 14 years. Less than a week later, Saudi Arabia and Qatar agreed to pay Syria’s $15 million debt to the World Bank. These moves, and many others, are proof that there is tangible support for Syria’s attempts to stabilise itself.

However, this is not about reconnecting the country with the global economy per se. It is about calling time on decades of failed Assad-era command-economy policies that stymied potential and limited growth. This system’s corrupt and flawed nature also enabled Syria’s dangerous shadow economy, such as the trade in illegal drugs. What we are poised to see now is the tentative emergence of a 21st-century Syrian economy capable of interacting with the rest of the world.

Removing obstacles to Syria’s development also helps the country’s new government pursue the difficult work of reform and national renewal

None of this will be easy. Overcoming more than a decade of war and five decades of institutional decay and economic dead-ends will not be solved at the stroke of a pen. There are many constructive next steps that would help. One would be a rethink of American tariffs, not only those that apply to Syria but to some of its key neighbours, such as Lebanon, whose economic woes compound its many social and political problems, contributing to a sense of regional instability.

Many other difficult issues remain, such as Israel’s continuing occupation of Syrian territory and the enduring menace of sectarian violence. However, the momentum generated so far by Mr Trump’s visit to the Gulf bodes well for further bold action. Applying that energy and creative thinking to other regional issues – such a war and starvation in Gaza – would be a welcome step.