Britain on Thursday lifted sanctions that had been imposed on several Syrian government agencies during the rule of the now-deposed president, Bashar al-Assad, in the latest sign of Western engagement with the country’s new leaders.
In a notice updating its list of those sanctioned, the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office named a dozen organizations — many defense or security related, including Syria’s interior and defense ministries and its military intelligence agency — that were no longer subject to an asset freeze.
In a separate statement, it added that Britain would end “restrictions on some sectors, including financial services and energy production in Syria,” in a move designed to encourage investment in Syrian energy infrastructure and help with the country’s economic recovery.
“The Syrian people deserve the opportunity to rebuild their country and economy, and a stable Syria is in the U.K.’s national interest,” Hamish Falconer, a minister at the British Foreign Office responsible for the Middle East, said in the statement.
The move follows the formation last month by Syria’s president, Ahmed al-Shara, of a caretaker government that aims to lead the fractured country through a crucial period of transition following the ouster of the Assad family’s dictatorship.
Mr. al-Shara, who led the rebel coalition that toppled Mr. al-Assad in December, has been trying to persuade Western capitals that he and his compatriots have cast off their jihadist origins.