President Trump Plans To Lift Sanctions Against Syria, Meets With President Al-Sharaa In Saudi Arabia

US President Donald Trump with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. (Twitter/@WhiteHouse)

JAKARTA - President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions against Syria, a major change in US policy ahead of the meeting expected with the country's president, Ahmed al-Sharaa.

"I will order the cessation of sanctions against Syria to give them the opportunity to become great," President Trump said at an investment forum in Riyadh.

"This is the time for them to shine. We will remove everything," he continued.

"Good luck Syria, show us something very special," said President Trump.

President Trump said he made the decision after discussions with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, whose government both urged the lifting of sanctions.

The Republican president said he would lift all sanctions, saying the sanctions had carried out an important function, but it was time for Syria to move forward.

Steps are being taken to restore normal relations with Syria, he said, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with his Syrian counterpart this week.

Separately, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibini said in a statement to Reuters, saying it marked a turning point for the Syrian people in their efforts to rebuild.

"We are ready to build relations with the United States rooted in mutual respect, trust, and common interests," said Foreign Minister Shibani.

He also said President Trump could gain "a historic peace deal and victory for US interests in Syria," without elaborating.

President Trump will meet President Sharaa on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia, a White House official said, who will arrange a meeting between the president and former commander of al Qaeda who took power after Bashar al-Assad was ousted.

Meanwhile, two Syrian Presidential sources told Reuters the two leaders would meet on Wednesday morning local time.

Lifting the sanctions of Uncle Sam's country that cut off Syria's relations with the global financial system will pave the way for greater engagement by humanitarian organizations working in Syria, making it easier for foreign investment and trade when the country rebuilds the country.

The move came as a surprise even though Israel was very suspicious of President Sharaa's Administration, a concern that some US officials initially felt.

Israeli officials continue to describe President Sharaa as a jihadist, although he cut ties with al Qaeda in 2016. The Israeli government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Meanwhile, the United Nations, which has prompted countries to lift sanctions against Syria, has also welcomed the move.

"It is important for us to see relief from sanctions against Syria to help the Syrian reconstruction, to help the Syrian people recover from conflict for more than a decade, a decade of lack of investment," said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Meanwhile, Alex Zerden, a senior researcher at the Center for a New American Security, said President Trump's announcement would unravel "simpul Gordian" sanctions, export controls, and the designation of terrorists that have made Syria one of the countries with the highest economic restrictions, along with Iran, North Korea and Cuba.