Italy foreign minister meets Syria’s new rulers, calls for sanctions talks

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani held talks with Syria's new rulers and called for negotiations on easing EU sanctions imposed on the former government of Bashar al-Assad. Tajani met with Ahmed Shala, Syria's de facto leader, in Damascus on Friday, stating that the sanctions imposed after Assad's crackdown on anti-government protests "must absolutely not hit the Syrian people." These protests sparked the country's 13-year civil war.

Tajani stated, "These sanctions were because there was a different regime at the time. It is very important to discuss the current changed situation." He was referring to the takeover of the country by the "Liberation of Sham Organization" armed group led by Shala last month, which brought an end to Assad's rule. Tajani said that Italy wants to help Syria recover from the civil war, rebuild its shattered economy, and act as a bridge between Damascus and the EU.

Tajani emphasized, "The Mediterranean can no longer just be a sea of death, a cemetery for migrants, but should be a sea of commerce, a sea of development." Al Jazeera's correspondent, Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Damascus, said the meeting with Shala was "significant." He stated, "It gives you the sense that the international community recognizes this new government as a new reality, and they want to do business with them."

Before arriving in Damascus, Tajani held talks in Rome on Thursday with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, and officials from the UK, France, and Germany. He said the so-called Syria Quintet talks were key to starting discussions on changing EU sanctions. Kallas said earlier on Friday that the EU's 27-nation bloc could begin lifting sanctions if Syria's new rulers take steps to form an inclusive government that protects minority groups.

Kallas wrote on X, "The EU can gradually ease sanctions as soon as tangible progress is made." In Damascus, Tajani also met with Foreign Minister Assad Hassan Shaibani, who announced that he would soon make his first official visit to Europe. Since the beginning of this month, Shaibani has visited Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Jordan. Shaibani said he welcomed Tajani's focus on the sanctions issue.

Shaibani said, "We agree with his view that the reasons for imposing sanctions no longer exist, and that this could become an obstacle to encouraging the return of Syrian refugees from abroad." The Syrian war has caused more than 500,000 deaths and has also devastated the economy, forcing millions to flee their homes, including to Europe.