Syria's new Islamist rulers said on Sunday that U.S. sanctions on Syria were an obstacle to the war-torn country's rapid recovery and urged Washington to lift them during a visit by Syrian officials to Qatar.

International community has not rushed to lift economic restrictions on Syria and is instead waiting to see how the new authorities exercise their power

Syria’s new Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani arrived in the Qatari capital Doha on Sunday, marking his first visit to the Gulf country. Shaibani is accompanied by Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra and intelligence chief Anas Khattab during the visit,

Shibani, appointed by the country's new rulers, arrived in Doha on Sunday to meet Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, a Qatari official told Reuters. Syrian official news agency SANA confirmed the arrival of the Syrian delegation,