The European Union has announced the suspension of sanctions against Syria targeting key economic sectors.
The 27 foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels, formally decided on Monday on the suspension, which pertains to the banking, energy, and transport sectors.
The EU aims to aid the reconstruction of the war-torn country and foster relations with its new leaders, who have regularly called for the lifting of these sanctions.
These measures were imposed on the government of then President Bashar al-Assad and large parts of the Syrian economy during the civil war that began in 2011.
They could, however, be reimposed if the new Syrian leaders, emerging from Islamist movements, do not respect human rights or democratic values, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said last month.
“While we aim to move fast, the lifting of sanctions can be reversed if wrong steps are taken,” Ms. Kallas stressed in late January during a previous meeting of the 27 foreign ministers.
Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Chibani welcomed the EU’s decision to suspend the sanctions on Monday, viewing it as “a step” towards “alleviating the suffering” of Syrians.
“We have spent the last two months engaging in discussions and diplomatic efforts to ease the unjust sanctions that heavily burden our people," al-Chibani said on X. "We welcome the EU’s decision to suspend selected sanctions on specific sectors and see this as a step towards alleviating the suffering of our people.”
