Washington: The Qatari grant for the salaries of Syrians does not reflect a change in US policy towards Syria.

The U.S. Department of State confirmed that the exemption allowing the funding of the Qatari grant allocated for public sector salaries in Syria does not represent a shift in Washington's stance towards Damascus, emphasizing that "the situation in Syria is still undergoing continuous changes, and there are no new exemptions from sanctions."

This was stated during the daily press conference by the U.S. State Department spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, who clarified that the United States has had a "long-standing exemption mechanism" that allows for providing aid to support Syria's stability, the mechanism Qatar relied on to provide financial support for the salaries of civil sector workers.

Bruce emphasized that "any assistance provided under this mechanism must be directed towards supporting the country's stability," denying that this reflects any change in U.S. policy.

In response to a question about the possibility of easing sanctions on Syria soon, Bruce replied: "I cannot confirm that at the present time," pointing out that "matters in Syria are constantly changing, and we are waiting for the Syrian government to appropriately respond to the demands we have presented repeatedly."

She also confirmed that the situation in Syria "is continuously monitored by the United States," and that Washington deals seriously with every development, whether it is "a setback from progress" or any positive step that aligns with its policies.

On the other hand, Syrian Finance Minister Mohammad Yasar Baridi praised the Qatari grant amounting to $29 million monthly for a period of three months extendable, explaining that it will be allocated to cover part of the salaries of workers in the health, education, and social affairs sectors, in addition to non-military retirees.

Baridi stated in a statement to the official "SANA" agency that the grant will cover about 20% of the total current salary bill, and it will be managed through the UNDP program.

He also noted that the grant "was exempted from U.S. sanctions," expressing his gratitude to the U.S. Treasury Department for its "prompt response," and expressing his hope that this step will pave the way for further measures "aimed at building trust and easing sanctions."

Reuters had previously reported that Qatari funding would provide a lifeline to the Syrian government, allowing for an increase in salaries for over a million government employees by up to 400% in the coming months. However, sources indicated that the grant excludes the ministries of defense and interior, reflecting Western concerns about strengthening the security aspect of the regime.

The sources also pointed out that this step could be interpreted as a potential indicator of easing sanctions, especially as some European countries have begun to review their policies towards Syria.

A Syrian financial source added that the salary increase will begin next month, covering more than a million employees in civil sectors, with compensations provided for employees not included in the initiative.