Syria’s top diplomat said Wednesday that lifting economic sanctions imposed during the rule of ousted president Bashar al-Assad was “key” to restoring stability in the war-torn country.For weeks, Syria’s new authorities have been lobbying Western powers to scrap restrictions that had targeted al-Assad’s administration over his brutal 2011 crackdown on anti-government protests, which triggered the country’s civil war.But the international community has been hesitant to roll back the measures, with many countries – including the US – saying they are waiting to see how Syria’s new rulers exercise their power before doing so.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“Removing economic sanctions is the key for the stability of Syria,” Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said in a conversation with former British prime minister Tony Blair at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The sanctions, he added, were imposed for the benefit of Syrians, but are now