BRUSSELS
The European Council said on Monday it had adopted a decision terminating the partial suspension of the cooperation agreement between the European Economic Community and the Syrian Arab Republic, thereby restoring fuller trade ties with Syria.
It said the move marked an important step toward strengthening bilateral relations between the European Union and Syria.
The decision “sends a clear political signal of the EU’s commitment to re-engage with Syria and support its economic recovery,” the European Council added in a statement. An EU official said the aim was to back reconstruction of the country devastated by more than a decade of civil war that sent millions fleeing abroad, and where “the reality on the ground is still appalling.”
Some 13 million Syrians — nearly half the population — depend on food assistance, the official said. Needs are enormous, and the EU has already pledged €620 million ($730 million) in aid for the 2026-2027 period.
But Syria’s stability also interests many EU countries because its nationals have made up the lion’s share of asylum-seekers in the bloc over a decade — and there is a push for large numbers to eventually go back home.
“We need the Syrian transitional government to succeed in bringing stability to the country, because that’s in our interest,” said one EU diplomat.
