Europeans Welcome Tahrir al-Sham with Open Arms: “We Will Lift Your Sanctions!”

Sunday, February 09, 2025  Read time1 min

SAEDNEWS: Six members of the European Union (EU) have stated that the EU should lift sanctions to facilitate civilian flights, reassess restrictions on high-value goods, remove the ban on oil and gas technology exports, and reopen financial channels between the EU and Syria.

Europeans Welcome Tahrir al-Sham with Open Arms: “We Will Lift Your Sanctions!”

According to Saed News, a document reveals that six EU member states have called for a temporary suspension of sanctions on Syria in sectors such as transportation, energy, and banking.

According to ISNA, EU foreign ministers are scheduled to meet on January 27 in Brussels to discuss easing sanctions on Syria. A document seen by Reuters indicates that six EU countries have proposed a temporary suspension of sanctions in key sectors like transportation, energy, and banking.

Following the removal of Bashar al-Assad by opposition forces led by Tahrir al-Sham, European leaders have begun reevaluating their policies toward Damascus. Tahrir al-Sham is classified as a "terrorist group" by the United States, most other countries, and the United Nations.

The document, signed by Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Finland, and Denmark, states that the EU “must immediately begin adjusting its sanctions regime.”

However, the document also warns that if the EU’s expectations regarding human rights and minority protections are not met, additional sanctions may not be lifted, and an immediate reinstatement mechanism will be applied to any lifted sanctions.

Last week, the United States granted a six-month sanctions waiver on transactions with Syrian government entities to facilitate humanitarian aid.

EU Proposals for Sanctions Relief

The six EU members suggested that the EU should:

  • Lift sanctions to facilitate civilian flights.

  • Reassess restrictions on high-value goods.

  • Remove the ban on oil and gas technology exports.

  • Reopen financial channels between the EU and Syria.

However, they also insisted that sanctions on Assad’s government officials and supporters should remain in place.

The document states that lifting sanctions on Tahrir al-Sham should be discussed at the UN level and coordinated with close partners. It further emphasizes that "this decision depends on our joint assessment of Tahrir al-Sham as an entity, its leader Ahmed al-Shara, and developments on the ground in Syria."

Diplomatic Efforts in Riyadh

Additionally, Kaja Kallas, the EU’s Foreign Policy Chief, met with Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, the Foreign Minister of Syria’s Interim Government, in Riyadh on Sunday. The meeting gathered top Western and West Asian diplomats to discuss Syria’s future.

Kallas stated:
“Now is the time for Syria’s new leadership to fulfill the hopes they have created through a peaceful and inclusive transition that protects all minorities. Next, we will discuss with EU foreign ministers how to reduce sanctions.”



Latest news  
Video: Discovering Iran’s Rarest and Most Stunning Jewelry from the Achaemenid Era! / Even with today’s technology, I couldn’t recreate such a unique earring! U.S. Secretary of State: Accelerating the Disarmament of Iran-Backed Armed Groups Is Essential / Weapons of Resistance Groups “Weaken” Iraq Pezeshkian Announces Iran’s Ratification of the CFT Law. Why Achieving a ‘Major Trump-Iran Deal’ Is Difficult: Two Likely Scenarios for Tehran-Washington Relations A 3,200-Year-Old Coffin Astonishingly Holds a Pharaoh and a Priest in an Unusual Burial—Plus Photos Meet the World's Biggest Cat! The Amazing Birth of a Bizarre Two-Headed Crocodile: A Legless Creature Like No Other [+Photos] A Farmer’s Hilariously Creative Proposal: This Man Asked His Crush to Marry Him… with 4 Sheep! + Photos A Saudi Man Swallows 22 Live, Venomous Scorpions in a Shocking Moment—Millions Have Watched; Your Heart Will Race Watching This +Video Incredible Discovery: Giant 8-Meter, 250-Kilogram Snake Found in a Factory + Photos A Glimpse at the Magnificent and Stunning Palace of Darius the Great in Khuzestan / With This Size, How Many Months Would It Take to Explore This Palace? + Photos Incredible Discovery: 2,000-Year-Old Mummy Found in a Trash Can [+Photos] The World’s Tallest 2-Meter Couple: How Ana Finally Escaped the Public’s Gaze After Marriage [Photos] Joint Pressure by Russia and Iran on Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to Prevent the Influence of Foreign Powers in the Caspian Sea Vaezi: Trump’s Claim About Iran’s Nuclear Industry Is a Delusion — He, Too, Realized That Iran Cannot Be Forced to Retreat Through Threats or the Language of Force