The European Union will establish contacts with Syria's new leadership and reopen its delegation in the country, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday.
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas
The European Union will establish contacts with Syria's new leadership and reopen its delegation in the country, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday.
Von der Leyen also said the EU would increase humanitarian aid to Syria. But she warned of the risk of a resurgence by hardline Islamic State militants and said this must not be allowed to happen.
The EU delegation - which is like an embassy - in Syria was never officially closed, but there has not been an accredited ambassador in Damascus during the war in Syria.
"We want this delegation to be fully operational again," Kallas said in European Parliament.
Kallas said she had asked the EU's delegation head to go to Damascus on Monday to establish contact with the new leadership in Syria and various other groups.
Von der Leyen told reporters in Ankara after a visit to Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan that the EU must step its direct engagement with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Islamist group which spearheaded the offensive which toppled Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.
"However, the lack of predictability demands utmost caution. The risk of a Daesh (Islamic State) resurgence, particularly in eastern Syria, is real. We cannot let this happen. And Turkey's legitimate security concerns must be addressed," she added.
Von der Leyen said the EU would increase humanitarian aid to Syria and would aim to help restore basic services like electricity, water and infrastructure.
Germany, the United States and Britain have earlier said they would establish contact with HTS.
Reporting by Bart Meijer and Charlotte Van Campenhout
The United Nations Security Council on Friday extended a long-running peacekeeping mission between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights for six months and expressed concern that military activities in the area could escalate tensions.
Two journalists working for Kurdish media outlets in Turkey were killed in northern Syria on Thursday after their vehicle was allegedly targeted by a Turkish drone, Turkish media and a pro-Kurdish party said.
In the wake of Damascus falling into the hands of rebel forces, declarations of support for the Syrian people and calls for a peaceful transition have flooded in from capitals across the world.
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