Syria to Attend Closed-Door G7 Finance Meeting in Paris

Syria will attend a closed-door meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors in Paris on Monday, according to sources familiar with the talks. The move marks another sign of the country’s growing international engagement less than two years after the ouster of Bashar Assad.

Syrian Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh is expected to discuss Syria’s reconstruction and its reintegration into the global financial system. The two-day meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors will focus on global economic imbalances, trade tensions and the impact of conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Syria’s economy remains severely weakened after years of war and international isolation. Although most sanctions have been eased or lifted since Assad’s fall, economic recovery has been slow and banks and investors remain cautious.

Damascus’s participation in the talks is intended to form part of preparations for the G7 leaders’ summit in June and, according to sources, reflects efforts to bring President Ahmad Shara’s administration closer to the world’s leading economies.

(reuters, bak)