EU outlines plan to reduce sanctions on Syria

The EU has agreed on a roadmap to ease sanctions on Syria, as announced by the bloc's foreign policy chief on Monday, News.az reports citing Anadolu agency.

"EU Foreign Ministers just agreed on a roadmap to ease the EU sanctions on Syria," Kaja Kallas wrote on X. "While we aim to move fast, the lifting of sanctions can be reversed if wrong steps are taken."

Later at a news conference following Foreign Affairs Council meeting, Kallas cautioned that there is still concern over what might happen.

"Right now we have a political decision. We have the road map. We have a step for step approach," she said.

Western nations imposed severe economic sanctions on Syria after Assad's brutal crackdown on protesters in 2011, which later escalated into a devastating civil war.

The sanctions included trade and commerce, an import ban on crude oil and petroleum products from Syria, the freezing of Syrian government assets abroad, and export restrictions on certain equipment, goods, and technology.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963.

News.Az