Americas

Americas

U.S. official to visit Mideast over sanctions on Iran, Syria

16 December 2011 22:09 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A senior U.S. Treasury official is leaving for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain on Saturday over sanctions on Iran and Syria, the Department of Treasury said on Friday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

In his four-day visit, Under Secretary of Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen will discuss regional issues related to sanctions against Iran and Syria as well as the United States’ continued efforts to combat global terrorism, the agency said.

As part of the department’s close coordination with international partners and allies in the region, Cohen will meet with senior government officials of the two countries to discuss options to increase pressure on the government of Iran, including potential financial measures targeting the central bank of Islamic republic.

The U.S. Congress has asked for sanctions on Iran’s central bank, in a beefed-up effort to press the country to abandon its attempt to acquire nuclear weapons.

Cohen’s meetings will also focus on other issues of common interest, including continued cooperation on efforts to disrupt the financial and support networks of terrorist organizations, and the implementation of the U.S., the European Union and Arab League sanctions aimed at disrupting the Syrian government’s ability to " finance its campaign of violence against the Syrian people," the Treasury said.

Syria was plunged into turmoil in mid-March when anti- government protests broke out, resulting in more than 5,000 deaths, as the United Nations estimates.