WASHINGTON, July 4 (KUNA) -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani late Thursday regarding President Donald Trumpآ’s historic actions to terminate the US sanctions program and national emergency with respect to Syria.
"The Secretary affirmed he would consider further steps reviewing domestic and United Nations terrorist designations related to Syria," the State Department said in a press release.
"The Secretary also underscored his intent to maintain sanctions on malign actors including Bashar Al-Assad, his associates, and others who threaten Syrian and international security," it added.
The Secretary expressed his hope that together, these steps will mark the beginning of a new chapter for both the Syrian people and U.S.-Syria relations.
The Secretary and the Foreign Minister also discussed other matters of shared concern, including countering terrorism, Iran, Israel-Syria relations, and destroying any remnants of the Assad regimeآ’s chemical weapons program, according to the release. (end) asj.mt