In a significant move on Tuesday that will have wider ramifications, EU ambassadors reportedly reached an agreement to lift sanctions on Syria.
The EU decision is important because it represents a bloc of countries. This will help Syria’s central bank and other systems, reports say, and it will also enable aid for reconstruction. Some sanctions had already been suspended in Europe, which enabled Damascus to move forward on various fronts. This has included sanctions on financial sectors, transport, and energy.
Kaja Kallas, the high representative of the union for foreign affairs and security policy, had said earlier that she hoped EU foreign ministers would agree in Brussels to lift sanctions.
“Clearly, we want to ensure that the Syrian people have job opportunities and livelihoods so that the country becomes more stable,” she said.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, the president of Syria, visited France in early May, where he met French President Emmanuel Macron. He then went to Riyadh, where he met US President Donald Trump, who also wants to end the sanctions on Damascus. The American leader made this decision after discussions with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
How is Qatar involved?
Qatar has also backed the lifting of sanctions. Along with the Saudis, it has helped Syria regarding investments and debt. Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani reaffirmed the importance of lifting US sanctions on Syria, Damascus’s SANA state media said.
“In his speech Tuesday at the opening of the fifth edition of the Qatar Economic Forum, Thani stated, ‘The lifting of US sanctions on our brotherly country, Syria, was an important step in moving forward, and we look forward to similar measures to follow,’” the report noted.
“The Qatari prime minister and foreign minister emphasized that this move sends a clear message to the region and the world that priority should be given to providing genuine and full opportunities for nations emerging from wars and tensions to build a better future,” it said. Qatar is also helping Syria’s agricultural sector, Syrian media said.
Meanwhile, Syrian Health Minister Musab al-Ali was in Geneva this week for the 78th session of the World Health Assembly. He met with his counterparts: Saudi Arabia’s Fahd al-Jalajel, Turkey’s Kemal Memisoglu, and Bahrain’s Jalila bint al-Sayed Jawad Hassan.
Additionally, Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir met with a Turkish investment delegation to discuss investment in the oil and gas sectors as the country looks to rebuild.