Qatar says sanctions on Syria must be lifted quickly

Qatar called on Tuesday for the quick removal of sanctions on Syria following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad by opposition forces.

“We call for intensified efforts to expedite the lifting of international sanctions on Syria,” foreign ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari told a regular briefing.

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Qatar’s call came a day after a high-level delegation visited Damascus. The Qatari embassy there reopened on Sunday, ending a 13-year rift between the two countries.

“Qatar’s position is clear,” al-Ansari said. “It’s necessary to lift the sanctions quickly, given that what led to these sanctions is no longer there and that what led to these sanctions were the crimes of the former regime.”

Doha was one of the main backers of the armed rebellion that erupted after al-Assad’s government crushed a peaceful uprising in 2011.

Qatar did not renew ties with Syria despite its return to the Arab diplomatic fold last year.

The international community has not rushed to lift sanctions on Syria, waiting to see how the new authorities exercise their power.

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