The EU says it will lift sanctions on Syria but leave those on the former Assad regime

BARCELONA – The European Union volition assistance sanctions connected Syria's system but support those successful spot targeting the erstwhile Assad regime, the EU's apical diplomat announced Tuesday.

Foreign argumentation main Kaja Kallas spoke aft chairing a gathering of overseas ministers from the 27-member bloc. She said the determination was designed to avert poorness and radicalism successful the state aft much than a decennary of civilian warfare sent millions fleeing, including to Europe.

The sanctions are “conditional” and could beryllium resumed if the caller authorities of Ahmad al-Sharaa doesn’t support the peace, Kallas said.

“Saving lives indispensable beryllium our apical precedence connected Syria," she said.

The announcement came a week aft U.S. President Donald Trump's gathering with al-Sharaa and his announcement that the U.S. would easiness sanctions connected Syria. Lifting sanctions could bring much-needed investment to Syria, which needs tens of billions of dollars to restore its battered infrastructure.

An insurgency precocious past twelvemonth unseated erstwhile Syrian President Bashar Assad and ended the civilian warfare that decimated overmuch of the country’s infrastructure. The United Nations estimates that 90% of Syrians unrecorded successful poorness and state-supplied energy comes arsenic small arsenic 2 hours each day.

Earlier successful the day, Kallas acknowledged concerns astir sectarian conflict but said “we don't person a choice” but to assistance sanctions and bolster the Syrian economy: “We really either springiness them anticipation to stabilize the state oregon we don’t bash that and we person thing similar what we person successful Afghanistan.”

Kallas added: “There tin beryllium nary bid without the way to economical recovery, and we each request a unchangeable Syria."

She did not supply details oregon timing connected the lifting of sanctions. But a European Council connection said it would support “sanctions based connected information grounds, including arms and exertion that mightiness beryllium utilized for interior repression. In addition, the EU volition present further targeted restrictive measures against quality rights violators and those fueling instability successful Syria.”

Syrians had celebrated successful streets crossed the state aft Trump's announcement, and Arab leaders successful neighboring nations that big millions of refugees who fled Syria’s warfare praised it.

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