EU lifts Syria sanctions, conditional aid announced
The head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, announced on Tuesday that the foreign ministers of EU countries have decided to lift the economic sanctions imposed on Syria. These sanctions were placed on the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, which was overthrown in December.
"We want to help the Syrian people rebuild a new, inclusive and peaceful Syria," Kallas wrote on Platform X. The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Defence emphasized that the EU has supported the Syrians for the past 14 years and will continue to do so.
Decision to lift sanctions on Syria
In 2011, the country experienced mass protests known as the Arab Spring, which quickly turned into a civil war, with Assad's regime brutally suppressing the rebels. In response, the EU imposed sanctions on Assad's regime, including economic ones that severed its access to the Western banking system, effectively halting foreign transactions.
Kallas announced that the ministers also decided to allocate €18 million (28 million CAD) Canadian dollars from European Union funds to improve conditions in camps for militants and their families.
At a press conference, Kallas stated that the sanctions will be conditionally lifted, and if there is no progress, they may be reinstated. She emphasized that the situation in Syria is not ideal, but the EU decided to give Syrians a chance.
Relations with Syria and its new government were among the topics discussed at the meeting of foreign ministers of EU countries on Tuesday in Brussels.
The EU sanctions imposed on Syria were due for extension by the Community in June. The European Union had already eased some restrictions earlier to enable, among other things, the export of energy to the country. However, sanctions regarding, for instance, the sale of arms, are expected to remain in place.
The Syrian Foreign Minister, Asaad al-Shibani, thanked the EU for the decision to lift the sanctions. He declared that this decision would contribute to strengthening security and stability in Syria.
The lifting of sanctions was first announced by the United States. US President Donald Trump made the announcement on Tuesday, on the eve of his meeting with Syria's interim president Ahmed al-Shara in Riyadh. This was the first meeting of the presidents of both countries in 25 years.
It was Shara, leading the coalition of Islamist rebels, who overthrew Assad's regime in December 2024. Since taking power, he has distanced himself from ties with jihadists. He also sought rapprochement with the West and the lifting of sanctions, emphasizing that this is necessary to unify and rebuild a country devastated by nearly 14 years of civil war.
