WASHINGTON, May 9. /TASS/. Sanctions of the United States against Syria will continue to be in force and Washington will not normalize relations with Damascus, White House Spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters, commenting on the decision of the League of Arab States (LAS) to restore the full-fledged membership of Syria in the regional organization.

"We have been consulting with our partners about their plans and making clear that we will not normalize relations with the [Syrian President Bashar] Assad regime and that our sanctions remain in full effect," Jean-Pierre said. "We are consulting with partners about their activity, so they do not risk sanctions consequences," she noted.

On May 7, the LAS Council resolved to return to Syria its place in the regional community.