Saudi Arabia calls on EU diplomats to lift sanctions on Syria
Lifting sanctions is necessary for the country's speedy recovery (photo: Getty Images)
On Sunday, Saudi Arabia held a meeting with leading diplomats of the European Union. The main topic was Syria, NBC News reports.
According to the news outlet, European and Middle Eastern diplomats met in the Saudi capital Riyadh to discuss the future of Syria. During the meeting, representatives of the host country called on Europeans to lift sanctions against Syria to accelerate the recovery of the country and its economy after the overthrow of the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
In turn, the United States and European countries are cautious about the Islamist roots of Syria's new rulers, former rebels who overthrew Assad. Therefore, a statement was made that the termination of sanctions depends on the progress of the political transition.
NBC News writes that the interim government, led by former rebels, has promised to move to a pluralistic, open system. It is seeking international support as the country tries to recover from nearly 14 years of civil war that killed about 500,000 people and displaced half of the pre-war population of 23 million.
Syria's new Foreign Minister, Assad al-Shaybani, was reportedly also present at Sunday's meeting.
Today Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, announced that in late January, the EU foreign ministers will hold a meeting in Brussels. They will discuss the possibility of lifting sanctions against Syria.
