Pedersen also described Israel’s behaviour in southern Syria as ‘unacceptable’ [Getty]
The UN’s Syria envoy has appealed to Western nations to end Assad-era economic sanctions, saying that an easing of restrictions will be “critical” in helping the country recover from 14 years of devastating civil war.
“These sanctions were imposed on the former regime and I think it’s extremely important that all the sanctioning states are now looking into [lifting them],” Geir Pedersen said at a press conference in Damascus on Wednesday.
“We need to see an end of sanctions” he said.Â
Since the fall of the Assad regime in December, Western nations have signalled willingness to roll back sanctions but have conditioned this on the new authorities committing to setting up an inclusive government that respects minorities.
The US earlier this month temporarily eased some of its restrictions on the country while the EU will next week discuss gradually winding down its sanctions regime.
It is unclear how the new Trump administration plans to proceed.
The UN official’s comments came following talks with Syria’s de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, who reiterated the need for sanctions relief.
Pedersen also spoke on Israel’s occupation of parts of southern Syria during the press conference, calling its behaviour “unacceptable”.
“There is no excuse for what the Israelis are doing and this needs to stop”, he told reporters.
Israel seized hundreds of square-kilometres of Syrian territory in the days following Assad’s ouster. It is now occupying the UN buffer zone, Mount Hermon and parts of Quneitra and Deraa provinces.
Local reports this week claimed that Israeli forces have begun building as many as six military bases on occupied Syrian territory.
Israeli officials said recently they intend to establish a 15-kilometre buffer zone on Syrian territory and a “zone of influence” stretching 60 kilometres into the country.
Al-Sharaa last week called on Israel to withdraw its troops and for UN peacekeepers to regain control over the buffer zone.
Israel no longer has an excuse to remain in Syria now Iran and Hezbollah are no longer a force in the country, he said.
Syrian forces launch new security operation in Homs
Meanwhile, the Syrian government has launched a “large-scale” security campaign in Homs province as the country’s new authorities continue to pursue members of the former Assad regime and crack down on smuggling.
Government forces have raided a number of villages in the Homs countryside, arresting dozens of people, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Wednesday.
Several people were injured by gunfire, it said.
This comes a day after six people were reported killed in a Shia-majority village near the Lebanese border, an area that has seen frequent clashes between government forces and Hezbollah since the toppling of the Assad regime.
