DAMASCUS, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Syria's interim Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani pledged on Wednesday to restore the country's full territorial unity and ensure the return of refugees, a month after the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad's government.
"Our happiness will remain unfinished until every inch of Syrian land is reunited, and displaced people and refugees are back in their homes," al-Shibani said in a statement marking the one-month anniversary of the change in power.
In a separate statement, the interim foreign ministry welcomed recent U.S. government exemptions and waivers regarding economic sanctions on Syria.
The ministry attributed the development to "intensive sessions" and praised the "tremendous work of Syria's remarkable teams."
"These sanctions have been targeting the Syrian people, now that the original reason for them has disappeared," the ministry said, adding that a full lifting of restrictions is crucial for Syria's recovery, stability and prosperity.
The remarks follow a series of diplomatic moves by the new authorities, which took power in December 2024 after 13 years of civil war in Syria.
Assad was ousted in a rapid offensive by insurgent forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) a month ago.
The United States, Britain, the European Union, and others imposed sanctions on Syria after a civil war erupted in the country in 2011. However, the new situation in Syria is complicated by existing sanctions on HTS and some of its leaders due to the group's past affiliation with al-Qaeda. ■
