The UN Security Council has lifted sanctions on Syria's interim President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, and Interior Minister, Anas Khattab. They were under sanctions for their links to the Islamic State (IS) group and al-Qaeda.
Fourteen of the 15 members of the Security Council, including Russia, voted in favor of a resolution proposed by the United States to lift the restrictions. China abstained. The text of the resolution emphasizes "the commitment to full respect for the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of the Syrian Arab Republic."
According to the DPA news agency, representatives from the United Kingdom, Russia, France, and Pakistan considered the decision an essential step toward Syria's economic recovery.
The Syrian authorities themselves considered the lifting of sanctions a sign of "growing confidence" in the new leadership and an opportunity for the country to reintegrate into the international community.
