European Union foreign ministers have reached a political consensus to ease sanctions on Syria during their meeting in Brussels, led by EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas.
Kallas announced that the sanctions will be lifted gradually, focusing on those hindering Syria’s economic recovery while maintaining restrictions on arms trade. “This could accelerate Syria’s recovery, but we are prepared to reverse course if the situation worsens,” she said, emphasizing a cautious, step-by-step approach.
The EU imposed sanctions on Syria in 2011 over the Assad regime’s violent crackdown on protesters. Current sanctions also target Hayat Tahrir al-Sham leader Ahmed al-Shara. The roadmap for easing sanctions includes technical steps to be resolved in the coming weeks.