EU to Ease Energy, Transport, and Financial Sanctions to Get Syria Back on its Feet

Many EU ministers stated that easing sanctions in the energy industry would be their top priority.

The European Union’s (EU) foreign affairs ministers agreed on Monday to start lifting sanctions on Syria, as announced by Kaja Kallas, the head of the bloc’s foreign policy.

This move could help boost its economy and get the nation back on its feet again. Kallas mentioned they need to move as fast as possible and discuss the technical details, which will hopefully be resolved in the coming weeks.

Kallas added that they are initiating a step-by-step approach and are willing to relax the sanctions if they see positive progress. She also mentioned that Brussels is ready to reopen its embassy in Damascus, the capital of Syria.  

Many EU ministers stated that easing sanctions in the energy industry would be their top priority. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated they would decide to suspend some sanctions for the energy sector, transportation, and financial institutions that have currently restricted the country’s economic stabilization and start their reconstruction process.

In exchange, the EU expects Syrian authorities to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which is a transnational movement that originated among Sunni Iraqis who inhabit the northern half of Iraq, eliminate chemical weapons of the old Assad administration and include religious and ethnic monitories in their democratic transition.

France will host a meeting in support of Syria next month and, along with Germany, has spearheaded the EU’s diplomatic outreach to Hayat Tahrir Al Sham, who took over control of Damascus on December 8.

The new Syrian leaders have been asking for the complete removal of sanctions. The United States did not withdraw its sanctions on Syria, which also targets the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which sets out the tariff rates for all goods imported into the United States, even though it took steps to reduce restrictions on Syria to increase its humanitarian relief. Syria’s foreign minister, Asaad Al Shibani, stated in Davos that lifting the economic sanctions is essential to Syria’s stability.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock mentioned in her speech in Brussels that Syria is in dying need of investments since it suffers from long hours of power cuts.

Ms. Baerbock, who travelled to Damascus with Mr Barrot on January 3, wanted the people of Syria to have electricity again so that they could function normally again, but it also required a political procedure.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that the EU is showing positive signs to the new government in Damascus by lifting sanctions.

Mr Tajani claimed that to improve cooperation, he had invited Mr. Al Shibani to Rome. He emphasized that Italian businesspeople are ready to invest in Syria’s reconstruction.

When the leadership in Syria changed, it came into scrutiny about the future of Kurdish-controlled autonomous areas in north-eastern Syria. The United States and France see them as an ally in the war against ISIS, but Turkey views the Kurds as a danger.

Mr Barrot stated that a political solution must take into account the rights of the Kurdish people and also the security interests of Turkey. However, that must be a nonviolent procedure that considers that Kurds play a crucial role in the battle against ISIS.

EU diplomats have been talking about a ‘snapback mechanism’ which would reintroduce sanctions when human rights are violated. Irish Foreign Minister Simon Harris stated that his recent trips to Damascus by his European counterparts have opened the door to having an informed discussion about the sanctions.

Mr Harris claimed that any discussions about that must have a snapback mechanism so that if things go wrong, sanctions can be reinstated.