EU COUNTRIES AGREES TO LIFT ALL ECONOMIC SANCTIONS ON SYRIA

Tue 20 May 2025:

On Tuesday, EU nations approved the removal of all economic sanctions on Syria to aid the country’s recovery following Bashar al-Assad’s ouster, according to diplomats.

Ambassadors from the EU’s 27 member states reached a preliminary agreement, with formal confirmation expected from foreign ministers in Brussels later that day.

This follows the US decision, announced by President Donald Trump last week, to lift its sanctions on Syria.

The country’s new rulers have been clamouring for relief from the crushing international punishment imposed after Assad’s crackdown on opponents spiralled into civil war.

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EU diplomats said the agreement should see sanctions cutting Syrian banks off from the global system and freezing central bank assets lifted.

But diplomats said the bloc was intending to impose new individual sanctions on those responsible for stirring ethnic tensions, following deadly attacks targeting the Alawite minority.

Other measures targeting the Assad regime and prohibiting the sale of weapons or equipment that could be used to repress civilians were set to remain in place.

The latest move from the EU comes after it took a first step in February of suspending some sanctions on key Syrian economic sectors.

Officials said those measures could be reimposed if Syria’s new leaders break promises to respect the rights of minorities and move towards democracy.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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