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(Bloomberg) — The European Union has lifted all remaining economic sanctions against Syria, the bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas told reporters after foreign ministers gathered in Brussels on Tuesday.
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“We need to give the Syrian people a chance,” Kallas told reporters, specifying the easing was reversible and conditional on progress.
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Measures against the Bashar Al-Assad regime and sanctions over human rights violations will remain in place, she added.
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The EU began a partial suspension of restrictions in February, mainly on Syria’s energy industry and certain banks. US President Donald Trump’s pledge last week to lift all sanctions on Syria gave the issue fresh momentum.
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Syria’s foreign ministry welcomed the EU’s decision, saying in a statement the move opens new horizons for cooperation between the war-ravaged country and the 27-nation bloc.
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“What Syria needs more than ever is friends, not obstacles,” the ministry said. “We’re looking for genuine partners in the process of rebuilding our cities and reconnecting our economy to the world.”
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The bloc’s assessments indicate that the sanctions easing so far has had limited impact and further relief was driven by good faith attempts by the Syrian authorities to establish an accountability mechanism, according to a person familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
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The EU started easing restrictions on Syria after the toppling of Assad, its longtime president and ally of Russia and Iran. The easing of restrictions is conditional on reforms such as the inclusion of minorities.
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—With assistance from Sherif Tarek.
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(Updates with Syrian Foreign Ministry comment starting in the fifth paragraph.)
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English (US)