Syria29 September, 20262 min read
Japan Lifts Sanctions On Syrian Ministries Of Defense And Interior, Easing Asset Freezes
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Japan lifted freezes and sanctions on 16 Syrian entities, including the Defense and Interior Ministries. Oil companies were among the 16 entities removed from sanctions.
7 outlets told this the same way.
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Tokyo eases Syria sanctions
Japan announced a partial lifting of asset freeze measures and sanctions imposed since 2011 on Syrian entities, including the Ministries of Defense and Interior, in a statement from the Japanese Foreign Ministry. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said the decision reflected “ongoing coordination with the international community” and supported the new Syrian authorities’ efforts to achieve a comprehensive political settlement and a stable transition. Japan said the move removed Syrian entities and institutions from the sanctions list and asset freezes, including the Syrian Tel communications company, the Commercial Bank of Syria, the Syrian Petroleum Company, and the General Authority for Radio and Television.
Japan also said it would keep asset freeze measures and sanctions in place for the remainder of the list, which it said had shrunk to include 59 individuals and 15 additional entities not covered by the recent lifting decision. Japan’s Foreign Ministry said many of the institutions, companies, and ministries encompassed by the relief were prepared and expected to play a “vital and central role” in supporting Syria’s reconstruction efforts and revitalizing its economy.
Support tied to al-Sharaa
Japan’s top government spokesman Kihara Minoru told reporters that many of the entities being removed from the sanctions list “are expected to play a role in Syria's reconstruction,” state-run NHK news reported. Kihara said stability and development in Syria “are directly linked to stability across the entire Middle East,” and he added that Tokyo “intends to support the country.” Japan’s Cabinet approved the decision after Tokyo had imposed sanctions in 2011 on the al-Assad administration, and Japan’s Foreign Ministry said the partial lifting came “in view of the subsequent developments” in Syria and the bilateral relationship between Tokyo and Damascus.
Japan and Syria restored diplomatic ties last December after a 15-year breakdown, following the formation of the government by Ahmad al-Sharaa after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Japan said sanctions will remain imposed on 59 individuals and 15 entities, even as it removed 16 of 31 entities from the sanctions list.
What remains and what changes
Japan’s Foreign Ministry said the latest decision removed asset freezes and other financial restrictions on 16 Syrian entities, including the defense and interior ministries, and it said the measures took effect the same day under a notice issued by the ministry. İlke Haber Ajansı listed entities removed from Japan’s sanctions list, including the Commercial Bank of Syria, Real Estate Bank, Syria International Islamic Bank, General Petroleum Corporation, and Syrian Petroleum Company. İlke Haber Ajansı said Japan would continue to impose sanctions on 59 individuals, including deposed Syrian regime leader Bashar Assad, as well as 15 entities linked to him.
İlke Haber Ajansı added that under Japan’s Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, financial transactions and payments involving individuals and entities that remain subject to sanctions require prior government approval. SANA said Japan lifted asset freezes and other restrictions on 16 Syrian entities, including the defense and interior ministries, while Japan maintained sanctions on 59 individuals, including Bashar Assad, and 15 entities linked to him.