ISTANBUL

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said Thursday the complete removal of US Caesar Act sanctions is now “a matter of time.”

Speaking during a panel discussion at Chatham House in London, Shaibani said Damascus believes it has shifted global perceptions over the past year.

“In 11 months, we changed the world’s view of Syria and removed the fears that once existed,” he said.

Syria is “exhausted and in a transitional phase,” the minister said, adding that the country needs time to “express itself” after years of conflict.

Shaibani said the government’s goal is for Syria to become “a state its people believe in, and not one distant from them.”