Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa said on Tuesday that his country has shaken off a "dark stain" after the US removed it from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list.

"Today, Syria shakes off a dark stain and tears away a painful chapter of its past to embark on a path of development, reconstruction and rebuilding," Sharaa said in a speech.

The US had kept Syria on the list since 1979, citing the then Syrian government's ties to Lebanon's Hezbollah, Palestinian factions and Iran. 

The announcement came Monday from Thomas Barrack, the US Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq .

(With input from agencies)