ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The European Union on Monday agreed on a roadmap to ease sanctions on Syria following a top meeting in Brussels, a senior EU official stated.
"EU Foreign Ministers just agreed on a roadmap to ease the EU sanctions on Syria. While we aim to move fast, the lifting of sanctions can be reversed if wrong steps are taken," European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas said on X.
Before reaching the agreement, she told Rudaw that "it is clear that we go step by step, so we start with the sanctions that they need most to really start to build up the country, and then we see if the steps are going to the right direction."
Both the UN and EU imposed strict sanctions on the Syrian regime for its violent crackdown on what began as peaceful anti-government protests in 2011, which evolved into a full-blown civil war.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani welcomed the move.
“We welcome the positive step taken by the European Union to suspend sanctions on Syria for one year, and look forward to seeing them lifted completely. We hope that this decision will have a constructive impact on all aspects of life for the Syrian people and ensure sustainable development,” he said on X.
No blank cheque
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told Rudaw that during her visit to Damascu, she clarified that there must be a political process in the country.
“This is not a blank cheque for them, which is why we won't lift other sanctions. We also made it clear that the European Union does not provide funding to any extremist, terrorist, or Islamist structures. These matters are interconnected, and how the future will unfold remains unclear even after 50 days,” she said.
“No one can return to reconstruction and economic rebuilding from Europe or Turkey if they don't know that their spouse or children in Syria are a priority. The same applies to different ethnic groups - for Kurds, Druze, and Alawites,” she added.
While in Damascus on January 3, she said that the security of Syria’s Kurds is “essential” for peace in the country and called for an end to attacks on Kurdish forces and their inclusion in the new security apparatus.
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) led a coalition of rebel groups that ousted the former regime on December 8 and installed a transitional government. HTS has Islamic jihadist roots and there are concerns about how that ideology will be reflected in the new Syria, especially among the country’s minority populations.
Earlier this month, the US expanded authorizations for humanitarian transactions and activities.
Alexander Schallenberg, Austrian foreign minister, also said that the ease of sanctions is not a blank cheque.
“I would plead for the fact that we should give the new leaders in Syria a chance but it is not a blank cheque. We just got reports of killings. Over 30 people were killed in Syria. We have to investigate it very clearly. But I believe after so many years of bloodshed we should give Syria, we should give the Syrian people a chance,” he told Rudaw before EU foreign ministers agreed on the roadmap.
Elections
Syrian de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has recently said that they need three years to draft a new constitution and four years to hold elections.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen told Rudaw that the polls must be held earlier than four years.
“We are very hopeful but at the same time we want to encourage the government and the leadership and the administration in Syria to really be inclusive in all of its decision-making and planning for the future,” she said.
“Personally, I do think the elections should be due on a much quicker time horizon than just say four years because now there is hope, now people really want to be part of creating the future for their society. Finally, the freedom which they deserve. So it is extremely important that all religious groups, and of course all sects in the society, are taken into account in this work,” she added.
She noted that this is something that will be a “prerequisite” for easing the sanctions.
Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner responsible for equality, preparedness and crisis management, told Rudaw that during her visit to Syria she met with civil society groups and refugees.
Regarding Sharaa’s plan for Syria, she said his message is “clear.”
“He wants to work on inclusivity. He will organize very soon the national conference and his hope is to see Kurdish [people] be part of the Syrian civil society and to have the Syrian citizenship.”
