EU Restores Ties with Syria, Lifts Sanctions on Key Ministers
The bloc will lift duties on most Syrian industrial imports and pledged 620 million euros in aid as it seeks to support recovery and future returns.
- On Monday, May 11, 2026, the European Council terminated the partial suspension of a cooperation agreement with Syria, restoring fuller trade ties as the country emerges from nearly 14 years of war.
- The European Union aims to bolster Syria's economic recovery to create sustainable conditions for migrant returns, as Syrian nationals have comprised the lion's share of asylum-seekers across the bloc.
- Foreign Ministers convened in Brussels on Monday with top Syrian diplomat Asaad Al-Shaibani to initiate a high-level "political dialogue," 18 months after the ouster of Bashar Assad.
- Chancellor Friedrich Merz faced backlash after suggesting 80 percent of Syrian refugees could return within three years, as Germany—home to more than a million Syrians—remains central to the return debate.
- While the EU pledged 620 million euros in aid for 2026-2027, experts like Julien Barnes-Dacey warn that economic conditions remain insufficient to persuade Syrians to leave Europe in the near term.
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30 Articles
The EU states have agreed to re-implement the cooperation agreement with Syria in full.
DECRYPTAGE - During a visit to his counterparts in Brussels, the Syrian Foreign Minister obtained the restoration of a cooperation agreement suspended since 2011. Some European countries are now considering the return of refugees to their country.
The European Union is going to restore the partially frozen trade agreement with Syria, European foreign ministers announced on Monday in Brussels…
EU seeks to restore trade with Damascus in bid to ensure ‘safe’ Syrian refugee returns
The EU restores all trade with Syria while investing in the country's reconstruction, but experts argue that safe returns of Syrian citizens living in the EU cannot happen overnight, as many have already requested citizenship, are still navigating asylum procedures, or simply do not wish to return while conditions in Syria remain uncertain.
In a move described as reflecting a radical shift in EU policy towards Damascus, foreign policy chief Kaya Kallas announced on Monday the lifting of sanctions imposed on the Syrian interior and defense ministers, the first such decision since the outbreak of the crisis in 2011...
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