EU may lift Syria sanctions to support recovery, says French FM

Targeted measures under discussion include easing financial transactions, improving air transport, and reducing sanctions on the energy sector to address Syria’s severe power shortages.

By THE MEDIA LINE STAFF JANUARY 8, 2025 19:36

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (l-r) meets with the new Syrian ruler Abu Mohammed al-Julani, with her French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot on the right. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock makes a surprise visit to Syria around four weeks after the fall of long-term ruler Bashar al-Assad. (photo credit: JORG BLANK/PICTURE ALLIANCE VIA GETTYIMAGES)

The European Union is considering easing sanctions on Syria to facilitate humanitarian aid and recovery efforts, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Wednesday.

Speaking to France Inter radio, Barrot suggested that sanctions obstructing aid delivery and the country’s rebuilding could be lifted swiftly, though he did not specify a timeline.

“There are sanctions today that hinder access to humanitarian aid and the recovery of the country. These could be lifted quickly,” Barrot stated.

He noted that additional political sanctions might also be reconsidered, depending on Syria’s new leadership’s handling of the transition and commitments to inclusivity.

The announcement follows a similar move by the United States, which issued a six-month sanctions exemption on Monday for transactions with governing institutions in Syria.

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot is helped by a bodyguard as he visits the Saydnaya prison, north of Damascus on January 3, 2025. (credit: ANWAR AMRO/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES)

Reasoning for relief

The US measure aims to ease the flow of humanitarian assistance after the end of Bashar Assad’s rule.

Three European diplomats, speaking anonymously, said the EU aims to reach an agreement on lifting some sanctions before a meeting of the bloc’s 27 foreign ministers in Brussels on January 27.

Targeted measures under discussion include easing financial transactions, improving air transport, and reducing sanctions on the energy sector to address Syria’s severe power shortages.