EU reaches agreement to lift economic sanctions on Syria, Kallas says

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.