BRUSSELS
Brussels to host Syria summit with first Damascus representation
The European Union will host its annual Syria donor conference in Brussels on March 17, marking the first time Syria will have formal representation at the event.
Titled “Standing with Syria: Meeting the Needs for a Successful Transition,” the conference, organized annually since 2017, is the first since the ousting of Bashar al-Assad’s regime three months ago, with Syria’s new interim government set to participate for the first time.
In the past, representatives of Syrian civil society were invited to take part in the summit - but the Syrian state was not.
Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Nuh Yılmaz is also expected to represent Türkiye at the conference, according to sources.
During a press briefing, spokesperson Anitta Hipper confirmed that Syria’s new Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani had been invited.
“We are all having an interest in the stabilization of Syria. It’s important that the work towards that happens, and this can only happen with an inclusive transition, because there’s no alternative to that,” Hipper stated. The conference presents a “very important occasion” to engage with the Syrian authorities on the current situation within the country and to assess how the EU could best provide support, she stressed.
“We should spare no effort in support of a peaceful and inclusive transition away from any foreign interference which guarantees the rights of all Syrians, without distinctions.”
In February, the bloc’s member countries suspended a range of sanctions against Syria, including restrictions related to energy, banking, transport and reconstruction.