Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The French foreign minister said some European Union sanctions against Syria are being revoked, a move intended to stabilise Syria after the fall of Assad.
European Union foreign ministers were debating the matter at a gathering in Brussels on Monday, with the bloc’s foreign policy head, Kaja Kallas, having said that she was optimistic an understanding on easing the sanctions could be reached.
Arriving at the EU meeting in Brussels, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said,
“Regarding Syria, we are going to decide today to lift, to suspend, certain sanctions that had applied to the energy and transport sectors and to financial institutions that were key to the financial stabilisation of the country.”
He also said that France would also suggest slapping sanctions on Iranian administrators responsible for the imprisonment of French citizens in Iran.
“I will announce today that we will propose that those responsible for these arbitrary detentions may be sanctioned by the European Union in the coming months,”
He said.
What sanctions will the EU lift in Syria?
The European Union has agreed to lift several sanctions imposed on Syria at the meeting of the foreign ministers scheduled for 27 January 2025. Six countries in Europe, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Finland, and Denmark, are pressing to reduce the remaining sanctions connected with energy, transport, and finance for the purposes of stabilising the economy and its reconstruction in Syria.
The easing of sanctions is only possible if the new Syrian authorities can affirm an inclusive political transition, taking seriously the rights of minority communities and women. EU officials have insisted that concrete progress in governance and human rights be a precondition for any sanctions relief.
