EU delays recognition of Syria's new government, emphasizes need for assessment

Kaja Kallas, The European Union's foreign policy chief, has stated that it is too soon for the European Union to consider recognizing Syria’s transitional government or lifting sanctions on the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

However, she emphasized that this should not stop negotiations, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

"The question at this really early stage is not the question of recognizing the government. It’s rather, assessing the deeds and the direction of Syria," she remarked.

Kallas also stressed that the EU needed a unified approach to Syrian asylum seekers. In a swift move, several European countries have halted the processing of Syrian asylum applications, while Austria introduced a “repatriation and deportation” program.

She mentioned that her counterparts in the Middle East had informed her that some Syrian refugees in neighboring countries were already returning voluntarily. "EU asylum rules must be followed," she added.

Kallas noted that the European public is eager to know when Syrian refugees will return. "We have seen elections where migration is the main topic. Then it’s clear that, in several countries, this is the thing people want to hear: What happens now to the refugees? Are the refugees returning?" she said.

“Syria’s future is right now, quite hopeful, but still uncertain,” Kallas continued, noting that Europe’s approach to engaging with the dominant rebel group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), would be contingent on conditions such as “no radicalisation, no revenge, no retaliation.”

On November 27, members of the opposition armed groups launched a large-scale offensive against government positions in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib. By the evening of December 7, Assad's opponents had captured several major cities - Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Deraa and Homs. On December 8, they entered Damascus, after which the Syrian army units left the city. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad left office and the country after intra-Syrian negotiations.

By Vafa Guliyeva