US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States has begun procedures to remove Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation dating back decades, in a new show of support from Washington for the transitional phase led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

The announcement came on the same day President Donald Trump met with al-Sharaa on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey.

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio formally notified Congress of the start of these procedures, with the revocation of the designation set to take effect within 45 days unless lawmakers reject it, which is unlikely.

Historic Step

Rubio said: "This is another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a chance to achieve greatness." He added: "Lifting sanctions on Syria will open the door to international trade and investment, give Syria a chance to rebuild, and open a new chapter for the Syrian people." In his statement, Rubio said that a stable, unified Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors benefits not only the region but the entire world.

Unifying Syria

Trump said during his meeting with al-Sharaa in Ankara on Wednesday that the latter is doing an incredible job of unifying Syria, adding: "Syria was in chaos with the previous government." The United States designated Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979 under the late President Hafez al-Assad. This designation carries legal risks for companies planning to invest in Syria, especially American companies or those dealing with the world's largest economy.