British Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed that his country would evaluate the new Syrian leadership in order to establish relations with it, while the German Foreign Minister proposed a smart approach to sanctions on Syria..
He also expressed, in press statements today, Sunday, his thanks to Saudi Arabia for providing the opportunity to meet with the Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Asaad Al-Shaibani, in Riyadh.
He stressed that Riyadh’s meeting with foreign ministers is important to assess the situation in Syria. As for the possibility of his visiting Damascus, Lamy explained that the decision depends on his meeting today with the Syrian Foreign Minister.
These statements came as the foreign ministers of European and Arab countries continued to arrive in Riyadh in order to participate in this expanded meeting on the future of Syria over the past hours.
In addition to the foreign ministers of a number of Arab countries, ministers from France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Turkey and Spain are participating in the meeting.
The UN envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, and Kaya Kallas, the High Commissioner for Foreign and Security Policy in the European Union, as well as the US Undersecretary of State, John Bass, are also expected to participate.
While Sunday’s summit will be divided into two sessions, the first will bring together Arab officials, and the second will have broader participation that includes Türkiye, France, the European Union, and the United Nations.
Today’s meetings represent an extension of the talks held last month in Aqaba, Jordan, which stressed the importance of protecting security, stability and diversity in the country, after the fall of the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad.
In turn, after her arrival in Riyadh to participate in the expanded meeting on Syria, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock proposed imposing a smart approach to the Western sanctions imposed on the country.
She said in a quick press briefing on Sunday that her country “proposes a smart approach to sanctions so that the Syrian people get relief and reap quick benefits from the transition of power.”
While she stressed that sanctions will remain on “accomplices with former President Bashar al-Assad who committed serious crimes” during the civil war.
It announced that Germany would provide an additional 50 million euros to Damascus in order to provide food supplies, emergency shelters, and medical care.
These statements came after sources in the German Foreign Ministry confirmed last Tuesday that Berlin is leading discussions within the European Union in order to ease the sanctions imposed on Syria during Assad’s rule and help the Syrian people.
It also came more than a week after Birbock’s visit to Damascus and her meeting with the head of the new Syrian administration, Ahmed Al-Sharaa.
Berlin, like other European capitals, links the complete lifting of sanctions on the country to what Seklo described as the new government in Syria, and the formation of an inclusive government for all sects and orientations, in addition to preserving human rights and combating terrorism.
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