Brussels, Belgium – EU countries agreed Tuesday to lift all their remaining economic sanctions on Syria in a bid to help the war-torn country recover after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad.
“We want to help the Syrian people rebuild a new, inclusive and peaceful Syria,” she said.
The move from the European Union comes after US President Donald Trump announced last week that Washington was lifting its sanctions against Syria.
The country’s new rulers have been clamouring for relief from the crushing international punishment imposed after Assad’s crackdown on opponents spiralled into civil war.
EU diplomats said the agreement should see the lifting of sanctions cutting Syrian banks off from the global system and freezing central bank assets.
But diplomats said the bloc intended to impose new individual sanctions on those responsible for stirring ethnic tensions, following deadly attacks targeting the Alawite minority.
Other measures targeting the Assad regime and prohibiting the sale of weapons or equipment that could be used to repress civilians are set to remain in place.
Syria’s foreign minister Asaad al-Shaibani said after the EU decision that the lifting of the economic sanctions showed an “international will” to support Damascus.
Shaibani added that “the Syrian people today have a very important and historic opportunity to rebuild their country”.
The latest move from the EU comes after it took a first step in February of suspending some sanctions on key Syrian economic sectors.
Officials said those measures could be reimposed if Syria’s new leaders break promises to respect the rights of minorities and move towards democracy.
