Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa (right) welcomes Turkey's intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin ahead of a meeting in Damascus. [AFP]
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa hailed early on Tuesday the United States' removal of his country from the state sponsors of terror list, a major sanctions relief step.
"Today, Syria shakes off a dark stain and tears away a painful chapter of its past to embark on a path of development, reconstruction and rebuilding," Sharaa said in a speech.
Washington's decision on Monday rescinded a decades-old designation that came with severe economic restrictions, marking another step in warming ties between the countries following the 2024 ouster of longtime Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad.
The Treasury Department announced corresponding sanctions relief.
Sharaa expressed his "many thanks to the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, and to all the friendly and supportive nations that stood by us".
The US Department of State also revoked its designation of the al-Nusra Front -- latterly known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) -- as a global terrorist organisation. Sharaa led that group, which spearheaded the blitz offensive that toppled Assad.