This week, Syrians, full of hope and joy, once more took to the streets across the country to celebrate. Following the announcement by US President Donald Trump that he wanted to completely lift crippling sanctions on the country after 45 years of international isolation, the future of the war-torn country appears much brighter.

"It's their time to shine. We're taking them all off," Trump announced in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday during his three-day visit to several Gulf states. "Good luck, Syria. Show us something very special."

Syria's Foreign Ministry called the announcement a "pivotal turning point" and a "vital opportunity for Syria to pursue stability, self-sufficiency and meaningful national reconstruction, led by and for the Syrian people."

It remains unclear if sanctions relief will be limited to specific sectors, like international humanitarian aid, banking or general business, or if the end of the US sanctions is subject to certain conditions. The EU has lifted some sanctions on Syria but others remain in place. On Thursday, the bloc's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, proposed a further loosening of sanctions on Syria.

"We still need to see whether Trump's words translate into action given the wide range of measures imposed on the country," Julien Barnes-Dacey, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, or ECFR, told DW. "This could be a process that takes longer than many Syrians would like," he said.

"Still, if key US measures can be lifted, and this is tied to a stabilization of the security environment on the ground, it would create much better........

© Deutsche Welle