Canada removes Syria and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham from terrorism lists

Key facts

• Canada's foreign ministry announced it was revoking the 'terrorist' designation for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
• Canada cited efforts by Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s government to 'advance Syria’s stability'.
• The ministry stated the decisions were 'not taken lightly' and align with recent moves by the United Kingdom and the United States.
• Canada had listed Syria as a 'state supporter of terrorism' in 2012.
• The US partially suspended sanctions against Syria in June and extended the suspension in November after talks between al-Sharaa and Donald Trump.
• The US also removed al-Sharaa from the 'specially designated global terrorist' list prior to the White House meeting.