Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shara has called on the United States to permanently lift sanctions on Syria, stating in an interview with The New York Times that the measures are no longer justified following the country’s leadership transition.

Speaking from the presidential palace in Damascus, Syrian President Ahmad Al-Shara stated that the U.S. sanctions were imposed in response to what he described as “crimes committed by the Assad regime against the Syrian people,” adding that “this regime is no longer in power” and calling for a new chapter in bilateral relations.

Al-Shara said the ongoing sanctions are obstructing his government’s ability to rebuild the country’s collapsed economy and to provide essential public services.

According to The New York Times, the United States temporarily eased some sanctions last month following Al-Shara’s rise to power. However, Washington has listed eight conditions for fully lifting the sanctions, including the dismantling of chemical weapons stockpiles and cooperation on counterterrorism, according to informed sources.

The Syrian president described these conditions as insufficient and called for a broader easing of restrictions that would allow Syria to rejoin the international economic and political system.