The new Syrian government has agreed to assist the United States in locating and returning Americans who have gone missing in the war-torn country, according to the U.S. special envoy to Syria on Sunday. This news shows that the relationship between the two countries is getting better.
Thomas Barrack, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, who has also been appointed as the special envoy for Syria, expressed in a post on X that this marks a “notable progress” in the relationship between the two countries.
“The families of Austin Tice, Majd Kamalmaz, and Kayla Mueller deserve closure,” he stated, referring to American citizens who have either vanished or lost their lives in Syria during the devastating civil war that began in 2011.
“President Trump has stressed that the return of U.S. citizens or the respectful honoring of their remains is a top priority across the board,” Barrack mentioned. “The new Syrian Government will assist us in this effort.”A source informed AFP that talks between the two nations revealed there are 11 more names on Washington’s list of missing Americans, all of whom are Syrian Americans.
This announcement comes after Barrack’s meeting with Syria’s president and foreign minister during their visit to Turkey on Saturday. It also aligns with the gradual improvement of relations between the two countries since the removal of former President Bashar al-Assad in December.
In a statement released on Saturday, Barrack said Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa thanked Washington for its “prompt action on lifting sanctions.” The Trump administration granted Syria significant exemptions from sanctions on Friday, marking an important first step towards the president’s pledge to remove decades of penalties on a country ravaged by 14 years of civil war.
The congressional sanctions, known as the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, were implemented to isolate Syria’s former leaders by effectively excluding those who conducted business with them from the global financial system. These sanctions particularly obstruct postwar reconstruction efforts; while they can be temporarily lifted for up to 180 days by an executive order, investors are likely to approach reconstruction projects with caution, considering the risk of sanctions being reinstated after six months.
Earlier this month, Mr. Trump said during a trip to the area that the United States are thinking about relaxing the tough financial penalties in a bid to give the interim government have a better chance of survival.
