By Sam Tabahriti
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain removed sanctions on Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Friday, a day after the United Nations Security Council did the same ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump next week, with the European Union confirming it would follow suit.
Britain said in a notice on the government’s website that it was also lifting sanctions on Syria’s interior minister Anas Khattab.
Both men had formerly been subject to financial sanctions targeted at Islamic State and al Qaeda.
A European Union spokesperson said on Friday the U.N. decision would be reflected in EU measures.
Britain lifted some sanctions on Syria in April, while the bloc lifted its economic sanctions in May, but restrictions related to arms and security remain in place.
“We remain committed to supporting a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led and Syrian-owned transition to help build a better future for all Syrians,” a European Commission spokesperson said.
Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, became Syria’s president in January after insurgent forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) ousted Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive.
Sharaa, once a senior figure in HTS and previously affiliated with al Qaeda, was sanctioned by the U.N. and Britain in 2014, which included a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo.
The U.N. Security Council lifted those measures on Thursday, citing a lack of active ties between HTS and al Qaeda. The move came ahead of Sharaa’s planned meeting with Trump at the White House on Monday.
The Syrian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday, which is not a working day in Syria.
(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti and Sarah Young in London, Alessandro Parodi in Paris, additional reporting by Maya Gebeily in Beirut; editing by Michael Holden, Alexandra Hudson)
