Syria expects to complete its first financial transaction with a US bank within weeks, Central Bank Governor Abdelkader Husriyeh said on Thursday, marking a significant step towards reconnecting with the global financial system after 14 years of civil war. The announcement came after a high-level virtual meeting on Wednesday involving Syrian banks, several US lenders and officials, including Washington's Syria Envoy Thomas Barrack. The talks followed US President Donald Trump's decision in May to lift all sanctions on Syria, a move now being implemented through executive orders. Husriyeh said Syria's key goals are to resume transactions and establish US bank offices in the country. "I think the latter can happen in a matter of weeks," he told Reuters, noting that major US banks including JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and CitiBank were invited to the conference. Reconnecting to the international banking system is seen as essential to rebuilding Syria's war-torn economy and shifting away from its current reliance on cash and informal channels. Attribution: Reuters Subediting: M. S. Salama
