France mentioned on Thursday it was too quickly for the European Union to contemplate lifting sanctions on Syria following the removing of President Bashar al-Assad and would first give attention to defining its place on Syria’s transition.
Most EU governments welcomed Assad’s fall however are contemplating whether or not they can work with the rebels that ousted him together with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist group that’s designated a terrorist organisation by the EU.
EU overseas ministers are attributable to meet in Brussels subsequent week.
Requested whether or not Paris might push for the lifting of sanctions on Syria, notably within the power sector, Overseas ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine instructed reporters: “We’re taking this in an orderly means, step-by-step.”
“We all know the sanctions regime on Syria could be very robust, however for now the discussions in Brussels will particularly be on the place of the Europeans on the political transition. The sanctions query can come after that,” he mentioned.
Since reducing ties with Assad in 2012, France has not sought to normalise ties with Syria’s authorities and has backed a broadly secular exiled opposition and Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria.
French officers met representatives of such teams this and Paris has mentioned a political transition in Syria have to be credible and inclusive, according to a framework set out by the United Nations.
Western diplomats say they wish to see how the group approaches the transition earlier than making huge choices equivalent to on sanctions, the lifting of the designation of HTS as a terrorist group and finally offering monetary assist for Syria.
This text was produced by Reuters information company. It has not been edited by World South World.
