DAMASCUS/ISTANBUL

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Monday discussed with US envoy Thomas Barrack ways to enhance cooperation with the US.

A presidency statement said the Damascus discussions also dwelt on the developments in Syria and the region, and ways to strengthen dialogue and cooperation to achieve security and stability.

Barrack was accompanied by a delegation that included Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Congressman Joe Wilson.

His visit came after the US Treasury cancelled sanctions imposed Syria from the Federal Register, saying that the decision will enter into force as of Tuesday, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

Last June, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order to completely lift sanctions on Syria, in a move that opens the door to a new phase of economic and political relations between Damascus and the world.

The decision comes amid international anticipation of the repercussions of this shift on an economy that has lost $800 billion over a decade and a half, according to the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

UNDP estimates that Syria’s GDP has declined by 50%, with the poverty rate surging from 33% to 90% as a result of the country’s civil war since 2011.

It said that 75% of Syria’s population needs humanitarian assistance, including healthcare, education, jobs, food security, water, energy, and shelter.

Bashar al-Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia last December, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963. A new transitional administration led by Sharaa was formed in January.