DAMASCUS, Syria: Visa and Mastercard have begun international card transactions in Syria, marking a step toward reconnecting the country with global payment networks just days after the United States removed Syria from its state sponsors of terrorism list.

The two payment networks carried out their first international card transactions in the country.

Qatar's QNB Group said it and Mastercard had completed what it described as the world's first end-to-end international card payment in Syria. Visa separately said it had tested its first live international transaction in the country with Lebanon-based Fransabank.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa took part in the Visa test, making a card payment at a restaurant in Damascus's historic Old City, according to a video published by Syria's state-run Syrian Response. Central Bank Governor Mohammed Safwat Raslan was seated alongside him.

Syria's central bank told Reuters the transactions marked the start of international card payment services after months of technical preparations and testing, although the service has not yet reached nationwide coverage.

The transactions came two days after the U.S. formally removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. The designation, imposed in 1979, had remained a major deterrent to international banks and investors even after Washington dismantled its broader sanctions program against the country.

Washington ended comprehensive sanctions on Syria in December last year while retaining targeted measures against former President Bashar al-Assad and his associates, rights abusers, drug traffickers, Islamic State and al Qaeda affiliates and Iranian proxies.

Syria's continued designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, however, carried restrictions on financial transactions and remained a source of legal and compliance risk for banks considering doing business there.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani told Reuters before the designation was removed that Damascus hoped lifting what he called the "last obstacle" would reconnect Syria with the global financial and economic system and boost investment.

"There is no longer any obstacle to investment, doing business and rebuilding economic life in Syria," he said.

The central bank said the launch of international Visa and Mastercard transactions was not linked to a single event because technical, regulatory and compliance preparations had begun months earlier. However, it said the removal of restrictions and designations had improved the environment for international banks and financial technology companies.

Sharaa's government has made restoring access to global finance and attracting foreign investment a central part of its economic strategy since rebels led by him toppled Assad in December 2024.

Visa said it planned to enable international visitors to use their cards in Syria and described the test as a step toward wider international card acceptance.

QNB said Syrian merchants, including hotels, restaurants and government entities, can now accept international Mastercard credit cards through its point-of-sale terminals. Eligible merchants will be added gradually as part of a phased rollout, subject to regulatory approvals.

Visa's transaction was conducted with Fransabank Lebanon as the acquiring financial institution and Paymera, a Syrian payments technology company owned by the state's sovereign fund.

The central bank said it was working to rebuild correspondent banking relationships and expand official channels for cross-border transfers and payments, but gave no timetable for Syria's broader reintegration into the global financial system.