EU chief to make first Syria visit since Assad’s fall amid recovery efforts

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to visit Syria later this week, marking her first trip to the country since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, a spokesperson confirmed on January 5.

According to EU spokeswoman Paula Pinho, the visit forms part of a wider Middle East tour, which will also include stops in Jordan and Lebanon, Al Arabiya reports.

Von der Leyen’s visit comes as the international community seeks to support Syria’s fragile recovery, a year after al-Assad’s ouster. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been working to strengthen foreign support and improve security in the country.

Despite these efforts, Syria continues to face serious challenges, including sectarian violence and threats from ISIS.

The EU Council has removed nearly all economic restrictive measures on Syria, excluding those related to security, formalising a political decision first announced in May 2025. The move is aimed at supporting the Syrian people in rebuilding a peaceful, inclusive, and pluralistic country.

As part of the decision, 24 entities—including banks such as the Central Bank of Syria, key industrial companies in oil, cotton, and telecommunications, and several media outlets—have been removed from the EU’s asset-freezing list.

Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, described the move as “the right thing to do” to support Syria’s recovery and political transition. She reaffirmed the EU’s long-term commitment to the Syrian people.

The EU has, however, extended sanctions against individuals and entities linked to the Assad regime until June 2026 and introduced new human rights measures targeting two individuals and three entities responsible for abuses during violence in Syria’s coastal region in March 2025.

By Aghakazim Guliyev