European Union ministers agree on roadmap for easing sanctions on Syria

(Patria) - European Union foreign ministers have agreed on a roadmap for easing sanctions on Syria, the Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said on Monday.

“Although we want to move forward quickly, the lifting of sanctions can be reversed if wrong steps are taken,” Kallas said, as reported by news agencies.

The European Union has a range of sanctions targeting both individuals and economic sectors in Syria, including a ban on Syrian oil exports and restrictions on access to global financial channels.

However, European capitals have begun reassessing their approach to Damascus after Bashar al-Assad was ousted from the presidency in December by opposition forces led by the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was an Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani welcomed the decision to ease sanctions on Syria, describing it as a “positive step” in a post on social media platform X, Al Arabiya reported.