Today’s dollar price in Syria… and a gradual easing of sanctions

Today, Monday, January 20, 2025, the price of the dollar in Syria witnessed a slight increase in the parallel market, while it remained stable in banks.

• In the capital, Damascus, the dollar recorded in the parallel market 11,700 liras for purchase and 11,900 liras for sale.
• As for Aleppo, the exchange rate of the dollar reached 11,750 liras for purchase and 11,950 liras for sale.
• In Idlib, the price of the dollar on the black market reached 11,800 liras for purchase and 11,900 liras for sale.
• As for the eastern region (Al-Hasakah), it settled at 11,800 liras for purchase and 11,900 liras for sale.

As for the euro, its price on the black market ranged between 12,189 liras for purchase and 12,403 liras for sale, while the price of the Turkish lira recorded 327 liras for purchase and 335 liras for sale.

The Syrian Central Bank set the exchange rate of the dollar against the Syrian pound in banks at 13,000 pounds for purchase and 13,130 pounds for sale, and the average price reached 13,065 pounds per dollar.

The exchange rate of the euro against the Syrian pound reached about 13,399.10 liras to purchase, and 13,533.08 liras for sale.

As for the Turkish lira, its price was recorded at 367.53 Syrian pounds for purchase, and 371.20 Syrian pounds for sale.

The European Union is considering a gradual suspension of economic sanctions imposed on Syria, as part of its effort to support a peaceful transition in the country while retaining some influence, according to internal documents seen by Reuters.

The Union’s foreign ministers are scheduled to discuss this step during a meeting in Brussels on January 27, after European capitals began reviewing their policies towards Syria following the overthrow of the previous regime.

The documents, prepared by the EU’s foreign policy arm, set out options available to support the transition, along with a roadmap for gradually easing sanctions. According to the roadmap, there is broad consensus among member states on the need to ease sanctions to send a positive signal of support for the new authorities in Syria.

However, some Member States stressed the importance of caution and maintaining certain measures as leverage to ensure things develop as expected, noting the need for a gradual approach.

Current European sanctions include banning oil imports from Syria, banning investment in the Syrian oil sector, and freezing the assets of the Syrian Central Bank within the EU countries. According to the proposed map, some key sanctions, such as those related to weapons and entities linked to the Assad regime, will not be suspended.

Proposed options to enhance support for Syria include improving humanitarian aid, gradually supporting reconstruction, and allowing Syrian refugees in Europe to travel back and forth during the transitional phase.

Six European countries – Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands – also called on the European Union to temporarily suspend sanctions in the areas of transport, energy and banking.

It is expected that the. A political agreement was reached during the foreign ministers’ meeting, and future steps remain dependent on the development of the situation in Syria, amid European efforts to support the country’s stability without compromising the mechanisms that guarantee the new authorities’ commitment to the path of peaceful transition.