Northeastern authorities in Syria in talks over U.S. sanctions exemption

Kurdish-led authorities in northeastern Syria are in talks with their military allies in a U.S.-led coalition on a promised exemption from U.S. sanctions targeting the Syrian government, Badran Jia Kurd, a vice president of the regional administration said.

He said the sanctions would have an impact on his area, which trades with government-held Syria via local merchants and uses the Syrian pound, which has plunged in value.

“They will lead to an increase in prices to a very great degree and to weakness in trade activity with the Syrian interior, while on the other hand crossings to Iraq are closed, meaning the region was already living an economic siege,” Jia Kurd said.

“They told us the self-administration regions will be exempt from the Caesar sanctions but the mechanisms and means to achieve this exemption are being discussed with the international coalition.”