The Trump administration begins implementing the lifting of sanctions imposed on Syria.

The Trump administration issued orders on Friday that it said would effectively lift sanctions on Syria, after President Trump pledged this month, during a visit to Saudi Arabia, to lift the measures to help the country rebuild after a devastating civil war.

The US Treasury Department issued a general license authorizing transactions involving the Syrian Interim Government led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa, as well as the Central Bank and state-owned companies.

The ministry said in a statement that the general license, known as GL25, "authorizes transactions prohibited under Syrian sanctions regulations, effectively lifting sanctions on Syria."

The statement added: "GL25 will enable new investments and private sector activities in line with the President's 'America First' strategy."

A statement from the US State Department said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio also issued a 180-day waiver under the Caesar Act to ensure that sanctions do not hinder investment, facilitate the provision of electricity, power, water, and sanitation, and enable humanitarian efforts.

"Today's actions represent the first step in realizing the president's vision for a new relationship between Syria and the United States," Rubio said, adding that Trump has made clear he expects sanctions relief to be followed by actions by the Syrian government.

The White House stated after Trump met with Sharaa last week that the president had demanded that Syria adhere to several conditions in exchange for sanctions relief, including requiring all foreign fighters to leave Syria, deporting what it described as Palestinian terrorists, normalizing relations with Israel by joining the Abraham Accords, and assisting the United States in preventing the resurgence of ISIS.

"President Trump is providing the Syrian government with an opportunity to advance peace and stability, both within Syria and in its relations with its neighbors," Rubio said.

Syria welcomed the lifting of sanctions early Saturday, which the Foreign Ministry described as "a positive step in the right direction to alleviate the country's humanitarian and economic suffering."

The ministry added in a statement that Syria is keen to cooperate with other countries "on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs. It believes that dialogue and diplomacy are the best path to building balanced relations."

Most US sanctions on Syria were imposed on the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and key figures in 2011, following the outbreak of the civil war there. Al-Sharaa, who was known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani, led the militias that ousted Assad last December.

The general license lists al-Sharaa, previously sanctioned under the name Abu Muhammad al-Julani, among the persons and entities now authorized to conduct transactions. It also lists Syrian Arab Airlines, the Central Bank of Syria, several other banks, several state-owned oil and gas companies, and the Four Seasons Hotel Damascus.

Trump surprisingly announced last week that he would lift sanctions at the request of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a major shift in US policy ahead of his quick meeting with Shara in Riyadh.

It is hoped that easing sanctions on Syria will pave the way for greater participation by humanitarian organizations operating in Syria, encouraging foreign investment and trade as the country rebuilds. However, the United States has imposed a series of measures against Syria, isolating it from the international banking system and blocking many imports, and the prospect of reimposing sanctions on a country could discourage private sector investment.

The United States first placed Syria on its list of state sponsors of terrorism in 1979 for its support of Palestinian resistance movements, and has since added additional sets of sanctions, including several rounds following the country's uprising against Assad in 2011.