DAMASCUS/ISTANBUL

Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yasser Barnieh held discussions Thursday with a delegation from the World Bank on ways to cooperate in rehabilitating the country's priority sectors.

The meeting, held in Damascus, was the first between the two sides since US President Donald Trump announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria two days earlier.

It took place at the Ministry of Finance headquarters in Damascus and focused on key contributions and technical support that the World Bank intends to provide in the upcoming phase, according to Syria's official news agency SANA.

The report noted that the meeting included a joint review of vital sectors slated for rehabilitation under the supervision and coordination of both sides.

Prior to Trump’s decision, international financial institutions were unable to provide financial support to Syria due to the sanctions imposed on the country.

On Tuesday, Trump announced at the 2025 Saudi-US Investment Forum in Riyadh that he would order the removal of “brutal and crippling” US sanctions on Syria that were imposed before the fall of the Assad regime.

Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, 2024, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Ahmed al-Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in late January.