EU to restore Syria relations, strengthen trade and security ties, document shows

The European Union's move to deepen engagement with Syria, including relaunching formal political contacts and economic ties, signals a significant policy shift following years of strained relations. This initiative, detailed in a document seen by Reuters, marks a pragmatic approach to a region grappling with the aftermath of a prolonged conflict and a shifting global energy landscape.

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The EU will fully resume its 1978 cooperation agreement with Syria and begin a High-Level Political Dialogue, an EU term for formal and structured talks, with the country’s transitional authorities on May 11.

The decision to resume the 1978 cooperation agreement and establish a High-Level Political Dialogue with Syria's interim leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa is particularly noteworthy. It reflects a recognition of the need for stability and integration, especially given Syria's potential role in regional connectivity projects like the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor. The EU's intention to "reframe and adapt" its sanctions regime, balancing leverage with engagement, suggests a nuanced strategy aimed at influencing the transition positively.

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The EU also said it would “reframe and adapt” its sanctions regime to maintain leverage while engaging with Syria’s leadership and targeting spoilers of the transition.

From a European perspective, particularly concerning the large Syrian refugee population hosted across the continent, facilitating the "safe, voluntary and dignified return" of displaced people is a key objective. Syria's emergence as a critical transit point, especially amid the energy crisis triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war, further elevates its strategic importance. This renewed engagement, while complex and potentially controversial, aims to foster stability and economic development in a region vital to European interests.

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For economic prosperity, energy security and national sovereignty, Rome should evaluate nuclear power carefully, both in its traditional form and with new modular reactors.