Syria’s Foreign Minister Attends International Conference in Paris Amid Transition Talks
Syria’s Foreign Minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, is leading a delegation to Paris for an international conference hosted by France, marking his first official visit to the European Union since the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad, Al Jazeera reports.
The conference brings together regional and Western powers to discuss political transition, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction efforts in the war-ravaged nation
The meeting, which began at 2:30 pm (13:30 GMT) on Thursday, is expected to be addressed by French President Emmanuel Macron. Representatives from the Group of 7 (Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States), as well as envoys from Syria’s northern neighbor Turkey and several Gulf nations, are also in attendance. Turkey notably backed the group that ousted al-Assad.
According to the French Foreign Ministry, the primary goal of the conference is to coordinate efforts towards a peaceful transition in Syria, ensuring the country’s sovereignty and security. It also aims to mobilize Syria’s main neighbors and partners to coordinate aid and economic support, address transitional justice, and combat impunity.
This is the third conference of its kind since al-Assad’s fall in December, following similar events in Aqaba and Riyadh. While the conference will not focus on raising funds, which will be addressed at the annual pledging conference in Brussels in March, discussions are expected to cover topics such as the potential lifting of sanctions.
The EU has been considering easing some sanctions, although progress remains blocked due to opposition from Cyprus and Greece, as well as concerns surrounding maritime delimitation talks between Syria and Turkey.
Since assuming power, the new authorities in Damascus, led by interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, have been actively working to reassure Syrians and the international community of their commitment to a peaceful and democratic transition of power, with respect for the rights of minorities. Last month, al-Sharaa was named president for a transitional phase.
The interim government has been actively lobbying Western nations to lift sanctions, particularly those targeting the financial sector, to facilitate the rebuilding of the Syrian economy after 13 years of devastating war that have forced millions of Syrians to flee the country.
EU foreign ministers agreed on January 27 to ease sanctions on Syria, beginning with key sectors like energy. This decision followed a similar move by the United States, which eased its sanctions to allow fuel and electricity donations to Syria for six months.
