It has issued a new general license to expand permitted activities and transactions with Syria.
The move was made “to help ensure that sanctions do not disrupt essential services and the continuity of governance functions across Syria, including the provision of electricity, energy, water and sanitation,” the ministry said in a statement.
Permits that support the work of international organizations, non-governmental organizations, as well as humanitarian aid and stabilization efforts in the region have already been granted, and Monday’s decisions move this process forward, the ministry said.
“The end of Bashar al-Assad’s brutal and repressive regime, supported by Russia and Iran, presents a unique opportunity for reconstruction for Syria and its people,” said Deputy Finance Minister Wali Adejemo.
“During this transition period, the Ministry of Finance will continue to support humanitarian aid and responsible governance in Syria,” he added.
The Syrian interim government has called for the sanctions to be lifted.
But the international community is hesitant to lift the restrictions for now, and many countries, including the United States, have said they are waiting to see how the new authorities will implement their powers.
The Ministry of Finance emphasized that it has not unblocked the assets of blacklisted persons and organizations.
It includes Assad and his supporters, the Syrian central bank, and the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the former Syrian branch of al-Qaeda, which played a key role in Assad’s ouster and has now taken power in Damascus.