Al-Watan has learned from Gulf diplomatic sources in Brussels that a meeting held two days ago among the special envoys of the European Union countries to Syria and the directors of the Middle East departments of the European Commission member states resulted in the formation of a working group. This group is tasked with revisiting the European Union’s policy towards Syria, crafting new recommendations, considering a reduction in sanctions imposed on the Syrian people, and potentially reopening European embassies in Damascus.
The source, who wished to remain anonymous, indicated that Italy was the driving force behind the meeting, supported by seven other EU countries that had previously submitted a “paper” advocating for a shift in the EU’s approach to Syria.
According to the source, the meeting, which took place last Friday, yielded positive outcomes. Notably, Germany did not oppose the discussions, and France offered only minor criticisms of the meeting’s content without rejecting its conclusions.
The source also highlighted that the meeting surpassed expectations for those advocating a change in EU policy, suggesting that the process of “correcting the relationship” between the EU and Syria has commenced.
Once finalized, the new recommendations will be submitted to the Political and Security Committee and subsequently to the EU Foreign Affairs Committee for approval.
The source concluded by noting that the meeting agreed to delay the release of the annual special report on Syria until the working group completes its formulation of a revised European policy.
Last July, Italy, along with Austria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, and Slovakia, had formally requested a more realistic and sustainable approach to the EU’s policy on Syria from Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy representative.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
