The United States has sent Syria a long list of demands. Meeting these requirements is a minimum for Syria to start receiving the partial sanctions relief it reportedly seeks. US deputy assistant secretary for the Levant and Syria, Natasha Franceschi, laid out those conditions to Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani. These terms require the full foreigner exclusion from top governing positions in Syria, as well as the destruction of all chemical weapons left in the country. Since this meeting took place March 18, on the same day as a donor conference for Syria in Brussels.
The US is currently pushing Syria to name a liaison. In particular, it would aid the continuing effort to find Austin Tice, a US journalist who has been missing in Syria for more than a decade. Washington appears willing to provide relief from sanctions provided that the following occurs. After almost 14 years of devastating war, this reboot would be a welcome boost to the country’s economy. Nonetheless, the US is still wary of courting Syria’s new rulers too closely, in significant part because of Israel’s alarm.
Conditions for Relief
The United States has already signaled that any step toward partial sanctions relief for Syria would be conditioned on fulfilling defined benchmarks. Chief among these is making sure that no foreign nationals occupy senior slots in a future governing structure in Syria. In addition, the US requires that foreign combatants are not given important positions in the country’s governing body.
Washington has further pressed for the destruction of all remaining chemical weapons stockpiles and greater coordination on counterterrorism activities. These actions have been described as critically important first steps towards a relatively stable, self-sufficient Syrian government.
The conditions laid out seek to remedy these flaws, establishing a course to broader sanctions relief that is possible if they are met.
Diplomatic Engagements
Franceschi and al-Shibani getting to know each other at a donor conference in Brussels. On their ride, and then at their meeting, they delivered this list of demands. This engagement further emphasizes the work set through the existing diplomacy to navigate the complicated status of Syria’s present.
Even as the US administration treads carefully, there are efforts afoot to promote a more balanced re-engagement with Syria. For their part, the State Department is advocating for a more balanced approach. This strategy marks a departure from the White House’s early tendency to take a more punitive stance. This internal debate is illustrative of the difficulty in balancing diplomatic relations with humanitarian interests.
What’s more, Syria’s cooperation in finding Austin Tice should be a top priority for Washington. A new liaison would represent an important, symbolic step toward mending trust and desperately needed dialogue between the two countries.
Economic Implications
After a decade of devastating civil war, Syria is in desperate need of economic reprieve. The possibility of enjoying sanctions relief provides some hope for recovery to Damascus as long as they fulfill the demands laid out. But the path to any economic revival is not without bumps, though. Quite a few of them, in fact.
The current sanctions have already severely punished Syria, incapacitating the public sector. Despite recent attempts, these measures have failed to make critical financial transactions possible. Washington’s relief is contingent on Syria making drastic political and structural reforms. Implementing these changes will be no easy feat.
