Photo courtesy of Anadolu
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa used a Visa card to pay at a Damascus restaurant, marking another step in the country’s efforts to reconnect with international financial networks after years of sanctions.
Sharaa made the electronic transaction at a restaurant in Old Damascus on Wednesday, according to footage published by Syria TV. Central Bank of Syria Governor Safwat Raslan was present during the payment.
Visa separately announced Thursday that it had successfully tested a live international card transaction in Syria in cooperation with the Syrian central bank, Fransabank and payment technology company Paymera.
The company said the test was part of preparations to allow international visitors to use Visa cards in Syria and expand the country’s access to digital payment services.
The development came as Damascus sought to restore economic links with international markets and attract investment following the easing of sanctions that had isolated the Syrian economy.
At the opening of the 63rd Damascus International Fair on Wednesday, Sharaa said the country was entering a new period of reconstruction and development and sought to restore Syria’s role as a trade corridor connecting markets in the East and West.
The US Treasury Department announced Monday that Syria had been removed from Washington’s list of state sponsors of terrorism as part of the Trump administration’s sanctions relief measures.
Syria had been designated a state sponsor of terrorism since 1979, making its renewed access to international payment systems a significant development in its broader economic reintegration. (Anadolu)