The European Union has decided to lift its economic sanctions on Syria to support the Syrian people in rebuilding their country after over a decade of civil war, the bloc’s foreign policy chief announced.
"Today, we took the decision to lift our economic sanctions on Syria. We want to help the Syrian people rebuild a new, inclusive and peaceful Syria," Kaja Kallas said on X on Tuesday.
"The EU has always stood by Syrians throughout the last 14 years – and will keep doing so," she added.
Bashar Assad, Syrian regime leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia in December, ending the Baath Party regime, which had been in power since 1963.
Ahmed Al Sharaa, who led anti-regime forces to oust Assad, was declared president for a transitional period in late January.
Syria's Foreign Minister Assad al Shaibani thanked the European Union for lifting its economic sanctions on his country.
Shaibani said in a post on X that the EU decision would bolster Syria's security and stability.
Intense clashes erupted between Syrian government forces and remnants of the ousted Assad regime after they targeted hospitals in the northwestern city of Latakia.
US support
Meanwhile, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington supports efforts to help the new Syrian government succeed, warning that failure could lead to war and regional instability.
“We want to help that government succeed, because the alternative is full-scale civil war and chaos, which would, of course, destabilise the entire region,” Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
He added that US officials, including embassy staff in Türkiye, would coordinate with local partners to assess Syria’s needs, especially on the kind of aid they need for law enforcement.
“When Syria is unstable, the region becomes unstable,” said Rubio.
He said lifting sanctions could enable neighbouring countries to support the Syrian government in building governance mechanisms.
Syrians across the country mark their first Eid al Fitr since the ouster of Bashar al Assad.
