What's Next For Syria As Sanctions Lift

Syria has entered a new post-Assad era with President Trump's dramatic mid-May announcement that he would order the cessation of US sanctions. The move has opened the door for the US, the UK, and the EU to begin the process of comprehensively lifting their respective Syria sanctions. Despite significant steps towards lifting "all sanctions," while important sanctions are being lifted, the process reflects a careful and gradual approach by Washington, London, and Brussels, aiming to keep some of the sanctions in place and testing the interim Syrian government's policies and actions over time before broadening the scope of sanctions relief. Nonetheless, the transitions present a significant opportunity for Syria to bolster its economy and potentially its democratic transition, despite ongoing domestic and regional stressors, posing upside and downside risks for regional stability, the global economy, and multinational businesses.