Italian FM meets Syria’s new rulers, discusses easing of EU sanctions

Antonio Tajani says Italy wants to service arsenic a span betwixt Damascus and the European Union.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has held talks with Syria’s caller rulers and called for talks connected easing European Union sanctions imposed connected the erstwhile authorities of Bashar al-Assad.

Tajani met Syria’s de facto person Ahmed al-Sharaa successful Damascus connected Friday, saying that sanctions imposed aft al-Assad’s crackdown connected antigovernment protests that triggered the country’s 13-year civilian warfare “absolutely indispensable not deed the Syrian population”.

“They were imposed due to the fact that determination was a antithetic regime. It’s important to unfastened discussions connected the changed situation,” helium said, refering to past month’s opposition takeover of the country, led by al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham equipped group, which brought al-Assad’s regularisation to an abrupt end.

Tajani said Italy wanted to assistance Syria retrieve from civilian warfare and rebuild its breached economy, serving arsenic a span betwixt Damascus and the EU.

“The Mediterranean tin nary longer conscionable beryllium a oversea of death, a cemetery of migrants but a oversea of commerce a oversea of development,” helium said.

Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Damascus, said the gathering with al-Sharaa was “quite significant.”

“[It] gives you a consciousness that the planetary assemblage recognises the information that this caller medication is simply a caller reality, and they would similar to bash concern with it.”

‘Tangible progress’ needed

Tajani arrived successful Damascus aft hosting talks successful Rome with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, EU overseas argumentation main Kaja Kallas, and officials from the United Kingdom, France and Germany connected Thursday.

He said that the gathering of the alleged Quintet connected Syria was cardinal to opening the treatment astir a alteration to the EU sanctions.

Kallas said earlier connected Friday that the 27-nation bloc could statesman lifting sanctions if Syria’s caller rulers took steps to signifier an inclusive authorities that protects minorities.

“The EU could gradually easiness sanctions provided determination is tangible progress,” Kallas wrote connected X.

In Damascus, Tajani besides met Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, who announced that helium would soon marque his archetypal authoritative circuit of Europe.

Al-Shaibani has already visited Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan since the commencement of the month.

Al-Shaibani said helium welcomed Tajani’s absorption connected sanctions.

“We stock his sentiment that the reasons for imposing them nary longer exist, and could beryllium an obstacle to encouraging the instrumentality of refugees from extracurricular Syria”, helium said.

More than fractional a cardinal radical were killed successful Syria’s war, which besides ravaged the system and forced millions of radical to fly their homes, including to Europe.

Source

:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies