Stepping briefly away from developments in Gaza, EU foreign ministers have agreed on a “roadmap” to lift current sanctions on Syria.
The sanctions were imposed on the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad, and his fall at the end of last year has led to calls for the lifting of sanctions to help the country recover from a years-long civil war.
On Monday, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, said that the EU foreign ministers “had agreed on a roadmap to ease EU sanctions on Syria.”
“While we aim to move quickly, the removal of sanctions could be reversed if wrong steps are taken,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Syria’s Foreign Minister, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, said he welcomed the “positive step taken by the European Union to suspend sanctions against Syria for a year” and that he hoped to “see them fully lifted.”
“We hope this decision will have a constructive impact on all aspects of life for the Syrian people and ensure sustainable development,” he said.
