The United Arab Emirates hosted a Syrian trade delegation led by a businessman and lawmaker who has been on the U.S. Treasury sanctions list since the country's civil war erupted in 2011, UAE state media reported Tuesday. The UAE's state-run WAM news agency said the private sector forum launched Sunday in Abu Dhabi was meant to "enhance" commercial ties between Emirati and Syrian businessmen. Hamsho is on the sanctions list for supporting Assad and his brother, Maher Assad, who Washington accuses of playing a leading role in human rights abuses in the war. Among those were high profile Syrian businessmen and lawmakers, including Syrian entrepreneur Samer Foz, who emerged as a leading Syrian businessman amid the civil war. Monday's move in Brussels means the EU sanctions list now includes 270 people and 72 "entities," which are usually companies, organizations or agencies.

Source: ABC News January 22, 2019 12:56 UTC