6 EU nations call for temporary Syria sanctions relief

The damage of the Darayya neighborhood, caused by the soldiers of ousted Baath regime, is seen on west of the Syrian capital Damascus on January 12, 2025. [Bekir Kasım – Anadolu Agency]
ARABIAN GULF BUSINESS INSIGHT | Published January 13, 2025

Six member states of the European Union have called for the bloc to temporarily suspend sanctions on Syria in areas such as transport, energy and banking, according to a paper seen by Reuters.

EU foreign ministers are set to discuss relaxing Syria sanctions during a meeting in Brussels on 27 January.

European leaders began reassessing their policy toward Damascus after the ousting of president Bashar Al-Assad by forces led by the Islamist Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), which is designated as a terrorist group by the United States and most other countries, as well as the United Nations.

The document, signed by Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Finland and Denmark, said the EU “should immediately begin adjusting our sanctions regime”.

Nevertheless, the paper also warned that if EU expectations of respect for human rights and minorities are not met, further sanctions may not be lifted and a snapback mechanism could be applied to sanctions already removed.

The US last week issued a sanctions exemption for transactions with governing institutions in Syria for six months in an effort to ease the flow of humanitarian assistance.

The six EU members said the bloc should lift sanctions to facilitate civilian flights, reevaluate sanctions on high-value goods, remove an export ban on oil and gas technology and reopen financial channels between the EU and Syria.

They also said sanctions against members of the Assad administration and its supporters should remain in place.

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SOURCE:  www.middleeastmonitor.com

RELATED: Arab, EU diplomats in Saudi for talks on Syria aid

EU wants Syria’s new rulers to form an inclusive government that protects minorities


Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (R) welcomes his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani (C) before attending the talks  Fayez Nureldine / AFP
THE DAILY TRIBUNE | Published January 13, 2025

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Top diplomats from the Middle East and Europe are due in the Saudi capital on Sunday to discuss Syria as world powers push for stability after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

The talks on Sunday will unfold in two sessions: the first will bring together Arab officials while the second will feature wider participation including from Turkey, France, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations, a Saudi official told Agence France-Presse on Saturday.

The gathering takes place as Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, whose forces seized Damascus and toppled longtime ruler Assad last month, is pushing for sanctions relief.

Western powers, including the United States (US) and the EU, slapped sanctions on Assad’s government over his brutal crackdown on anti-government protests in 2011 that triggered civil war.

More than 13 years of conflict in Syria have killed more than half a million people, ravaged the economy, and pushed millions to flee their homes, including to Europe.

The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said on Friday that the 27-nation bloc could begin lifting sanctions if Syria’s new rulers took steps to form an inclusive government that protects minorities.

Saudi Arabia cut ties with Assad’s government in 2012 and had long openly championed his ouster. But in 2023 it hosted an Arab League meeting at which Assad was welcomed back into the regional fold.

This month the Gulf kingdom, the biggest economy in the Middle East, has sent food, shelter and medical supplies to Syria overland and by plane.

Riyadh is now negotiating how to support the war-struck country’s transition beyond that.

“This summit sends the message that Saudi Arabia wants to take the lead on coordinating the regional effort to support Syria’s recovery,” said Anna Jacobs, non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

“But the big question is how much time and how many resources will Saudi Arabia devote to this effort? And what is possible with many of the sanctions remaining in place?”.

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SOURCE: www.tribune.net.ph

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