European Ministers to Weigh Syria Sanctions as Regional Meeting Calls for Lifting Restrictions
European Union foreign ministers will convene at the end of January to discuss potentially lifting sanctions on Syria, a move that comes amid growing calls from regional leaders following a historic meeting in Saudi Arabia, Al Jazeera reports.
The discussions mark a significant shift in the international approach to Syria after the recent overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.
The EU meeting, scheduled for January 27 in Brussels, aims to explore how the 27-member bloc will address the complex issue of sanctions, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced Sunday. Speaking from Riyadh, where she was attending a regional summit, Kallas emphasized that the EU desires an inclusive Syrian government that rejects radicalization and respects human rights, particularly those of women and other marginalized groups. She also stressed that any easing of sanctions could be quickly reversed if necessary.
The Riyadh meeting saw a convergence of Western and Middle Eastern diplomats, including top officials from the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom, alongside representatives from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and other regional powers. Notably, Syria’s new Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, appointed by the caretaker government of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), also attended the talks – the first such meeting to include Syria’s new leadership since the ousting of al-Assad in December.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, publicly called for the lifting of sanctions on Syria following the talks. He argued that the continuation of these measures hinders the development and reconstruction of the war-torn nation.
The meeting concluded with a communique from the Saudi foreign ministry, echoing the call for sanctions to be lifted in order to support Syria’s rebuilding efforts. The communique also expressed concern over Israeli incursions into the occupied Golan Heights.
The gathering comes as Syria’s new administration has been actively lobbying for the removal of Western sanctions to facilitate international funding to Damascus. The US, recognizing the dire humanitarian situation, recently issued a six-month sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria, attempting to ease the flow of aid.
However, there is still disagreement within the EU bloc. While Germany, Italy, and France have recently pushed for relaxation of sanctions, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stressed that sanctions on allies of al-Assad, who committed “serious crimes” during the Syrian conflict, must remain in place.
Kallas clarified that potential areas for easing sanctions could include those that are “hindering the building up of a country, access to banking services and all these things.”
The HTS-led government, which took power after a lightning rebel offensive in December, is reportedly eager to show its citizens that the change in leadership has improved their lives. The Riyadh meeting marked the first instance of Syria’s new leaders engaging directly with top Western diplomats since their takeover.
Prior to the Riyadh meeting, top diplomats from the US, UK, France, Germany, and the EU met in Rome on Thursday, and regional concerns regarding Syria’s new rulers were previously discussed in a landmark meeting hosted by Jordan in December.
