DAMASCUS — Trading resumed on the Damascus Securities Exchange on Monday after a six-month closure, as Syria’s new leaders attempt to shore up the country’s battered economy and begin rebuilding after nearly 14 years of civil war.

The stock exchange had closed during the chaotic days leading up to the ouster of then-President Bashar Assad in a lightning rebel offensive.

Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh said the reopening signals that the country’s economy is beginning to recover.

The move comes as international restrictions on Syria’s financial systems begin to ease. Last month, the United States and Europe announced the lifting of a wide raft of sanctions imposed under the Assad dynasty’s rule. — Associated Press