Levantine National Council welcomes US President Trump’s lifting of sanctions on Syria

DARAMSUQ — The Levantine National Council has welcomed US President Donald Trump’s announcement that American sanctions on Syria will be lifted. Trump made the announcement on Wednesday during the Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh, stating the sanctions “were brutal and crippling,” but served an important function. Now, Trump continued, it is Syria’s “time to shine” and “I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness.”

In a statement on its Facebook page, the Levantine National Council, applauds the decision and timing, saying that the cessation of American sanctions “comes within the timely and natural context of supporting the Syrian people during this historic phase [of transition],” and that keeping the sanctions would have hampered the process of reconstruction and development.

The Council concluded by congratulating the Syrian people and expressing the hope that the end of American sanctions will help alleviate economic suffering and kick-start the process of reconstruction. In this way, the Syrian people can determine their own destiny and build the future of their country on the foundations of democracy, pluralism and participation.

The establishment of the Levantine National Council was announced on 7 May. In its founding statement, the Council said it seeks to represent Syrian Christians in political and civil life, defend their rights, and contribute to “building a state of citizenship based on the neutrality of the state toward all ethnicities, cultures, and religions.”