The step announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was expected amid cooperation between the legitimate government and the United States, coming a day after the UN Security Council lifted sanctions on it in a vote on an American draft resolution. It was noted that the legitimate government's leadership meets US demands, including working to find missing Americans and eliminate any remaining chemical weapons. A spokesperson for the US State Department, Tommy Pickett, stated in a press release: "These measures are taken in recognition of the progress being shown by the Syrian leadership following the departure of Bashar al-Assad." Agencies report that the United States officially removed Syrian President Ahmed al-Shar from the terrorism list on Friday, just days before his anticipated visit to Washington.
