Washington suspended its diplomatic presence in Syria in 2012 and later imposed sanctions on President al-Assad’s authorities.
The US has no plans to “normalise or improve” diplomatic relations with the federal government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and likewise doesn’t encourage others to take action, a US State Division spokesperson has mentioned.
The feedback got here in response to questions from the Reuters information company on whether or not Washington was encouraging and supporting a rapprochement between Jordan and Syria after Jordan absolutely reopened its most important border crossing with Syria on Wednesday.
The transfer was to spice up the nations’ struggling economies and reinforce a push by Arab states to reintegrate Syria after it was shunned in the course of the civil warfare.
“The US won’t normalise or improve our diplomatic relations with the Assad regime nor will we encourage others to take action, given the atrocities inflicted by the Assad regime on the Syrian folks,” a State Division spokesperson mentioned in an electronic mail on Wednesday.
“Assad has regained no legitimacy in our eyes, and there’s no query of the US normalising relations together with his authorities right now.”
It was among the many strongest feedback thus far on Syria from the Biden administration, whose Syria coverage has largely targeted on making certain the everlasting defeat of ISIL (ISIS) group and offering humanitarian help to the Syrian folks.
The US has not had a diplomatic presence in Syria since 2012.
Sweeping sanctions
The Trump administration final June imposed its most sweeping sanctions ever – hitting al-Assad and his inside circle to choke off income for his authorities in a bid to pressure it again to United Nations-led negotiations and dealer an finish to the nation’s 10-year warfare.
Arab states minimize ties with Syria in the course of the civil warfare, which the United Nations says killed no less than 350,000 folks, and US-allied Arab states, together with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates backed opposition teams preventing al-Assad.
The UAE and Syria restored diplomatic ties in 2018.
The Egyptian and Syrian overseas ministers met on Friday on the sidelines of the UN Normal Meeting in New York, in what Egyptian media mentioned was the primary assembly at that stage for about 10 years.
Officers in Jordan, a US ally, and Lebanon have urged Washington to ease sanctions on Syria.
“We consider that stability in Syria, and the higher area, can solely be achieved by a political course of that represents the desire of all Syrians and we’re dedicated to working with allies, companions, and the UN to make sure that a sturdy political answer stays inside attain,” the State Division spokesperson mentioned.
Al-Assad has recovered most of Syria however some areas stay outdoors his management. Turkish forces are deployed in a lot of the north and northwest, the final insurgent stronghold, and US forces are stationed within the Kurdish-controlled east and northeast.