EU foreign ministers on Tuesday agreed to lift economic sanctions on Syria, the bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, arrives to attend the UK-EU Summit at Lancaster House on May 19, 2025 in London, England. Carl Court/Reuters
EU foreign ministers on Tuesday agreed to lift economic sanctions on Syria, the bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
"We want to help the Syrian people rebuild a new, inclusive and peaceful Syria," Kallas said in a post on social media platform X following discussions with ministers in Brussels.
The European Union's policy shift comes after President Donald Trump said last week he would order the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria.
"The EU has always stood by Syrians throughout the last 14 years - and will keep doing so," Kallas said.
The bloc has already eased sanctions related to energy, transport and reconstruction, as well as associated financial transactions, but some capitals have argued that the measures were insufficient to help support Syria's political transition and economic recovery.
Reporting by Lili Bayer and Bart Meijer
More than 100 pro-Palestinian activists aboard aid ships bound for Gaza were taken to the Greek island of Crete on Friday after Israeli forces seized their vessels in international waters near Greece, flotilla organisers said.
A senior United Arab Emirates official said on Friday Tehran could not be trusted over any unilateral arrangements it makes for the Strait of Hormuz, in a sign of deep mistrust on all sides as efforts to end the Iran war remained at an impasse.
U.S. President Donald Trump congratulated Ali al-Zaidi on his nomination to be next prime minister of Iraq on Thursday, saying that he looked forward to a highly productive new relationship.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.