Issued by: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Updates to UK Syria sanctions regulations will help the people of Syria rebuild their country and economy following the fall of Assad

• Today’s updates to UK Syria sanctions regulations will help the people of Syria rebuild their country and economy following the fall of Assad.

• Amendments will allow UK to hold Assad and his associates accountable for human rights violations.

• Ensuring long-term stability in Syria is essential for regional and UK security - the foundation of the government’s Plan for Change.

The Syrian financial system will be supported to open up and rebuild following the fall of Assad, with the UK government announcing today (24 April) that it is amending its sanctions regulations on Syria and lifting sanctions on 12 entities.

The amendments will remove UK restrictions on some sectors including financial services and energy production in Syria, helping to facilitate essential investment in Syria’s energy infrastructure and supporting the Syrian people to rebuild their country and economy.

Amendments to UK legislation will also allow the UK to hold Assad and his associates accountable for their atrocious actions against the people of Syria, while giving the UK scope to deploy future sanctions in the Syria context, should that become necessary.

Additionally, sanctions on 12 entities will be lifted, including the Syrian Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior and media companies.

Sanctions imposed on members of the former regime and those involved in the illicit trade in captagon will remain in place.

These amendments will support Syria’s transition to a more stable and prosperous country, bolstering regional and UK security in line with the government’s Plan for Change.

Hamish Falconer, Minister for the Middle East, said:

"The Syrian people deserve the opportunity to rebuild their country and economy, and a stable Syria is in the UK’s national interest. That’s why I’m pleased that today the UK has amended its Syria sanctions and lifted sanctions on 12 entities to support them to do just that.

"The UK is committed to building greater stability in Syria and the wider region. This also enables us to bolster national security at home to support the government’s Plan for Change."

This announcement builds on the decision in March to lift asset freezes on 24 Syrian entities (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/update-on-syria-lifting-asset-freezes-on-24-entities), including the Central Bank of Syria, Syrian Arab Airlines, and energy companies.

The UK remains committed to working with the Syrian government and international partners to support an inclusive political transition in Syria, including the protection of human rights, unfettered access for humanitarian aid, safe destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles, and combatting terrorism and extremism. We will continue to press the Syrian government to ensure it meets the commitments it has made.

The UK continues to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to Syrians inside Syria and across the region, including pledging £160 million (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-pledges-up-to-160-million-to-support-syrias-recovery-and-stability-in-post-assad-era) to support Syria’s recovery and stability in 2025.

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