BRUSSELS: EU foreign ministers on Monday agreed to begin easing sanctions on Syria after the ouster of Bashar Assad, as the West looks to build bridges with the war-ravaged country’s new leadership.
“This could give a boost to the Syrian economy and help the country get back on its feet,” foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said after a meeting in Brussels.
The 27-nation EU imposed wide-ranging sanctions on the Assad government and Syria’s economy during its civil war.
Kallas said ministers had signed up to a “roadmap” for lifting the sanctions starting with key sectors such as energy where relief is needed most urgently.
“While we aim to move fast, we also are ready to reverse the course if the situation worsens, and in parallel, we will scale up humanitarian aid and recovery efforts,” she said.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the EU could begin by suspending sanctions on the energy, transport and banking sectors.
Europe is keen to help the reconstruction of the Syria and build better ties with its new rulers after the end of the Assad family’s five-decade rule.
But some EU countries worry about embracing the new rulers in Damascus too quickly.
The EU will only suspend the sanctions and not lift them definitively to maintain leverage over the Syrian leadership.
Syria’s new de facto leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa, and the extremist group he led, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, remain under EU sanctions.
Diplomats said there was still no discussion about lifting those designations, as with others on the Assad regime.
“What we are not relieving, of course, is anything related to arms dealing, and everything that we are still concerned about,” Kallas said.
The new leadership in Syria has been lobbying the West to lift sanctions — especially in the financial sector — to allow the country to rebuild.
“We welcome the positive step taken by the European Union to suspend sanctions on Syria for one year, and look forward to seeing them lifted completely,” Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani said on X.
“We hope that this decision will have a constructive impact on all aspects of life for the Syrian people and ensure sustainable development.”