The European Union, consisting of 27 countries, agreed on the 20th local time to lift all economic sanctions on Syria.
Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, announced this after the EU Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brussels, Belgium, stating, “We want to help the Syrian people build a new, inclusive, and peaceful country.”
Previously, in February, the EU had decided to lift some sanctions, including those on Syria’s energy sector, following the ousting of the dictatorship regime.
However, the EU had stated that it would take more time to decide on lifting sanctions in the financial and banking sectors, depending on the ‘political transition’ situation of the new Syrian government.
Recently, with U.S. President Donald Trump’s sudden decision to lift sanctions on Syria, the EU’s schedule for lifting sanctions also moved forward sooner than expected, according to Euronews.
President Trump announced on the 13th, during his Middle East tour’s first stop in Saudi Arabia, his intention to normalize relations with Syria and to lift all sanctions immediately.
Reuters reported that Syria’s Foreign Minister Assad Al-Shibani expressed gratitude for the EU’s lifting of economic sanctions.