The Canadian government yesterday announced plans to ease sanctions on Syria during what it called a period of transition, Reuters reports.
Many Western nations, including Canada, had imposed sanctions on the regime of Syria’s former President Bashar Al-Assad, who was toppled late last year by insurgent forces led by interim President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
The Canadian government issued a statement announcing the steps that it said displayed Ottawa’s “commitment to deliver much-needed humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people and to support a transition to an inclusive and peaceful future.”
The Canadian government said it is providing C$84 million ($58.4 million) in new funding for humanitarian assistance to Syria.
“Canada is also taking steps to ease existing sanctions for a period of 6 months, to support democratization, stabilization, and the delivery of aid to and within Syria during this period of transition,” the Canadian government said in its statement.
Canada’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Stefanie McCollum, was nominated to serve concurrently as non-resident ambassador to Syria, Ottawa added.
Canada added it was issuing a general permit, valid for a period of six months, that allows Canadians to carry out financial transactions and services that are otherwise prohibited, when supporting democratisation, stabilisation and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Syria.
It said it will be easing sanctions to allow funds to be sent through certain banks in the country, such as Syria’s Central Bank.
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