The European Union on Monday began easing energy and transport sanctions and banking restrictions against Syria, aiming to help breathe life into the conflict-torn country’s economy if its new leaders work toward a peaceful future.

Three months after Syria’s 14-year-old civil war ended, and as the holy month of Ramadan begins, euphoria is being replaced by anger at the continuing atrophying of the economy and at the apparent inability of the new government to reverse it.

After the fall of Assad, many Syrians hope for a better future. But intense political and economic challenges risk derailing the transition. Europeans urgently need to do more to help stabilise Syria’

Brussels says it seeks to encourage democracy as restrictions dealing with energy, transport and banking lifted.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with European Council President Antonio Costa in Cairo on Tuesday, though details of their discussions were

To help the Syrian people achieve a peaceful and inclusive political transition, to aid the swift economic recovery and reconstruction of the country and to facilitate its eventual reincorporation into the global financial system,

On 24 February 2025, marking the third year of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Union (“EU”) adopted the 16th package of

The EU on Monday lifted a number of economic sanctions on Syria, after the fall of Bashar Assad's regime late last year. “We will go forward with the suspension of sanctions against Syria,” the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said before a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels. “This includes the transport, energy and banking sectors.”