Following President Donald Trump’s Sanctions Reversal, EU Moves to Lift All Economic Sanctions on Syria: Al Jazeera Report

Following President Donald Trump’s Sanctions Reversal, EU Moves to Lift All Economic Sanctions on Syria: Al Jazeera Report

According to a report by Al Jazeera, following the lifting of sanctions by former U.S. President Donald Trump, the European Union (EU) has now decided to remove all economic sanctions on Syria. Diplomatic sources say that EU countries have given the green light to withdraw these sanctions to help rebuild war-torn Syria after the removal of Bashar al-Assad.

According to information provided to AFP, ambassadors of the EU's 27 member states have reached a preliminary agreement on the matter, which is expected to be formally announced at the Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels on Tuesday.

This move comes just one week after the United States declared its decision to lift sanctions imposed on Syria.

Reporting from EU headquarters, Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra described the decision as “highly significant.”

He said, “This move essentially indicates that the EU is recognizing the authority of the new leadership currently operating in Syria. Now, greater financial transactions are necessary to establish economic stability and improve the standard of living for the people.”

Sanctions Were Imposed During Assad’s Regime

The sanctions were originally imposed during the rule of Bashar al-Assad. The new leadership in Syria has now appealed to Western countries for support to help the nation recover from autocracy and civil war.

EU diplomats have said that under this agreement, Syrian banks will be reconnected to the global financial system, and frozen assets of the central bank will be released.

However, diplomats also mentioned that new individual sanctions will be imposed on those who incited ethnic tensions following recent violent attacks targeting the Alawite minority.

Sanctions against the Assad regime, including arms embargoes and bans on equipment that could be used to suppress civilians, will remain in place.

Back in February of this year, the EU had already suspended sanctions on certain key sectors of Syria’s economy. Officials stated that if the new Syrian government violates its commitments to protect minority rights and establish democracy, these sanctions could be reinstated.