EU to lift select sanctions on Syria ahead of reconstruction efforts

The European Union is set to lift certain sanctions on Syria in specific sectors, as foreign ministers of the 27 EU member states prepare to make a final decision on February 24.

The sanctions in question are related to energy, transport, and banking, aimed at facilitating Syria's reconstruction efforts following years of conflict, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

A senior EU official briefed reporters in Brussels, stating that the EU Council will approve the suspension of sanctions in these key areas. The move is intended to support Syria’s rebuilding process by allowing transactions related to reconstruction, particularly in the banking sector. This exemption will help enable international financial interactions with Syria in these sectors.

However, the official underscored that the lifting of sanctions comes with strict monitoring from Brussels. The EU will be closely observing the situation in Syria, and should there be any signs of regression or actions that contravene the path to peace, sanctions could be reinstated.

Several diplomats and European officials have revealed that the European Union may soon suspend sanctions targeting Syria's energy and transport sectors, but will maintain restrictions on financial transactions. These discussions were disclosed last month following consultations among diplomats from the 27 EU member states.

A number of European diplomats emphasized the importance of easing sanctions in key sectors crucial for Syria's economic stability and recovery. Specifically, they recommended the suspension of restrictions related to energy and transport to facilitate the country’s economic revitalization and kickstart its recovery process.

In recent weeks, several EU officials, envoys, and ministers have visited Damascus following the regime's transition post-Bashar al-Assad's fall on December 8. These visits have underscored the EU’s consideration of gradually lifting sanctions, contingent on the progress of a peaceful political transition in Syria. A key condition for this gradual process remains the preservation of the rights and public freedoms of the Syrian people, as well as the protection of the nation's cultural and social diversity.

The ongoing discussions signal the EU’s willingness to recalibrate its approach, provided that Syria makes meaningful strides towards a peaceful resolution and the safeguarding of its civil liberties.

By Vafa Guliyeva