Ottawa to begin easing unwinding sanctions, as it names its ambassador to Lebanon to serve in a parallel role in Syria.
The Canadian government has announced plans to ease sanctions on Syria as the interim government in Damascus seeks international support.
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Wednesday said Ottawa would provide 84 million Canadian dollars ($59m) in new funding for humanitarian assistance. It would also allow funds to be sent through certain banks, such as the Central Bank of Syria, she said.
Meanwhile, Canada’s ambassador to Lebanon – Stefanie McCollum – has been nominated to serve in a parallel role as the non-resident ambassador to Syria.
The Canadian government issued a statement announcing its “commitment to deliver much-needed humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people and to support a transition to an inclusive and peaceful future”.
It added that “these sanctions had been used as a tool against the Assad regime and easing them will help to enable the stable and sustainable delivery of aid, support local redevelopment efforts, and contribute to a swift recovery for Syria”.
Many Western nations, including Canada, placed a range of sanctions on Syria under President Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled late last year by rebel forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
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“Canada is also taking steps to ease existing sanctions for a period of 6 months, to support democratisation, stabilisation, and the delivery of aid to and within Syria during this period of transition,” the Canadian government said in its statement.
While the Syrian interim government has promised to protect its religious and ethnic minorities, security forces have reportedly killed hundreds of Alawite civilians in recent days.
According to the United Kingdom-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 1,500 people have been killed in outbreaks of violence in Syria this month, including at least 1,068 civilians.
“We call on all parties to prioritise the work toward de-escalation and national reconciliation and prevent the country from descending into fragmentation and violence,” said Joly.
Elsewhere, Canada’s special envoy for Syria, Omar Alghabra, said: “Canada can … help prevent Syria from falling into chaos and instability.”