BRUSSELS Jan 10 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas, has proposed that the 27 take steps in the “gradual relief” of the sanctions against Syria if there is “tangible progress” for the democratic transition on the ground.
This was expressed in a message after participating this Thursday in a five-party meeting in Rome with the foreign ministers of Italy, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States that seeks to coordinate efforts to promote the transition in Syria after the fall of the Bashar al Assad regime last December.
“We reaffirm the need for an inclusive government that protects all minorities. The EU could gradually soften sanctions as long as there is tangible progress,” said the head of European diplomacy on social networks.
This is the first time that Kallas has been so explicit about the option of the EU lifting sanctions against Syria. This message comes in parallel to the preliminary document put on the table by Germany for a new EU approach towards Damascus that involves gradually withdrawing economic, financial and transport sanctions, in addition to promoting rapprochement with the new authorities, raising that the United Nations lift sanctions against the jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), which heads the transitional authorities.
The German Executive will take to the next meeting of European foreign ministers at the end of January that the bloc identify sanctions that it can lift “gradually”, according to a proposal to which Europa Press has had access. To this end, he proposes setting political conditions to make these decisions, in addition to keeping the door open to reestablishing restrictions in the event of democratic regression on the ground.
The German initiative is to maintain measures against members of the defunct Al Assad regime, as well as against the proliferation of chemical weapons, but to ease measures that could benefit the Syrian society and economy.
Regarding the situation of HTS, which is currently considered a terrorist organization by the EU and is sanctioned by the United Nations for its relationship with Al Qaeda, Germany defends “the possible exclusion from the list” of those sanctioned by the UN, and although points out that this decision depends on the UN Security Council, urges to address the issue and carry out a “joint evaluation” of HTS and its leader and current strongman of Syria, Ahmed al Shara, alias ‘Abú Mohamed al Golani’ .