BANGKOK, Oct. 19 -- Syria and the World Bank announced on Sunday that they have agreed to set up a fund to carry donor money into the country's reconstruction, but the joint statement, as reported by TASS and The National, puts no figure on how much that money will be. The Syria Recovery and Reconstruction Trust Fund, known as START, is meant to provide concessional financing, investment guarantees and technical assistance.

The agreement follows Syria's attendance at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, the latest gatherings Syrian officials have joined since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's rule in December 2024, according to The National. A delegation of about 50 US companies visited Syria last month,...