The European Union has officially lifted sanctions on Syria, the relevant legal acts were adopted by the EU Council. Twenty-four items were removed from the list, including the Syrian Central Bank.
“Today the EU reaffirms its commitment to a transitional partnership that will help the Syrian people to reunite and build a new peaceful Syria,” said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.
In addition to the Central Bank, oil and cotton processing companies, as well as media outlets, have been removed from the sanctions list.
In mid-May 2025, the lifting of sanctions on Syria was announced by US President Donald Trump. He specified that he made the decision after discussing the situation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Erdogan.
Bashar al-Assad’s regime was toppled in December 2024. The former Syrian president fled to Russia. Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been removed from the US list of high-risk terrorists. He has, as The Times reported, proposed to U.S. leader Donald Trump a natural resources agreement similar to the one with Ukraine.