Brussels [Belgium], January 28: European Union top diplomat Kaja Kallas said on Monday that she hopes EU foreign ministers will be able to agree on gradually suspending the bloc's economic sanctions on Syria.
Ministers are to decide on a "roadmap" for a step-by-step approach, Kallas said as she arrived at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. Easing the sanctions would be "good news for the people in Syria," said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
In addition to targeting individuals, the EU imposed extensive import and export bans and restricted financial services to pressure the now-toppled Syrian regime over its human rights violations. These measures include export bans on a wide range of products, such as technical and electronic equipment, jet fuel and equipment for the oil and gas industry.
The sanctions also encompass an import ban on Syrian oil and petroleum products, along with restrictions on loans and trade. Ahead of the meeting, EU diplomats stressed that the sanctions would be suspended rather than lifted as a precautionary measure until developments in the country are more clear. If the EU begins to gradually lift the sanctions, the new leadership in Damascus must begin to rebuild the country, said Kallas.
"If the steps are going in the right direction we are also willing to make steps on our behalf," she said. Kallas added that she is considering to fully reopen the EU's embassy in Damacus "to really have our eyes and ears on the ground." The Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which is largely responsible for the ousting of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad, is classified as a terrorist organization by the United Nations and also subject to EU sanctions. (DPA)
Source: Qatar Tribune