Syrian FM announces upcoming visit to European countries
Shafaq News/ Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hasan Al-Shibani announced on Friday that he would be visiting European countries in the near future, during a joint press conference with his Italian counterpart, Antonio Tajani, in Damascus.
Tajani began his first official visit to Syria on Friday since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, starting with a tour of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.
Speaking from the mosque, which was built 1,300 years ago and is considered one of the most beautiful mosques in the world, Tajani stated: "I am delighted to be here this morning to express my respect and appreciation for the Syrian people, regardless of their beliefs."
On Thursday, Tajani hosted talks in Rome with his European counterparts and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, where the Italian minister said they aimed for a "stable and united Syria."
He also revealed that he intended to announce an initial developmental aid package for Syria, which has been severely impacted by sanctions after years of bloody conflict.
On another front, European Union foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, stated on Friday that the bloc may gradually ease sanctions on Syria if there is "tangible progress" from the new authorities.
She explained that she had participated in a meeting in Rome on Thursday "to coordinate efforts for Syria's transition phase" with Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Kallas added, "We reiterated the need to form an inclusive government that protects all minorities" in Syria, noting that "the EU may gradually ease sanctions, provided there is tangible progress."
EU foreign ministers are set to discuss the potential easing of sanctions at a meeting in Brussels on January 27. Germany and France support easing the sanctions, but achieving this requires the consensus of all member states.
The transitional government in Damascus has been working to lift the international sanctions imposed on Syria.
On Monday, the US Treasury Department announced an additional sanctions exemption for certain activities in Syria over the next six months to facilitate access to basic services. However, US officials indicated that they were waiting to see progress before lifting broader sanctions.
It is unlikely that the outgoing administration of President Joe Biden will be willing to remove Hayaat Tahrir al-Sham from the US "terrorist" blacklist during its final days in office.
But the US State Department had previously announced the cancellation of the reward it had offered for information on Hayaat Tahrir al-Sham leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, also known previously as Abu Mohammad Al-Golani.
