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US Politics

E.U. countries near agreement on easing Syria sanctions, a big policy shift

Washington Post
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The E.U. and the U.S. cut diplomatic ties with Syria in 2011 after Assad ’s brutal crackdown on people protesting his rule.

Easing of sanctions against Syria could help unlock billions of dollars in assistance for a reconstruction estimated to cost at least $250 billion .

The easing of sanctions would represent a major policy turnaround.

A coordinated sanctions policy toward Syria was discussed between the Biden administration and European governments but not with the Trump administration.

The war has left Syria ’s currency and much of its infrastructure in ruins, and plunged nearly 90 percent of the population into poverty.

Sanctions relief would “have a direct impact on the lives of Syrians , especially when it comes to sending or receiving money via the official banking system, Haid Haid says.