Italy foreign minister proposes setting aside EU sanctions on Syria

11/1/2025 7:42

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Friday that he had called for a moratorium on EU sanctions on Syria for six months or one year, but that a final decision could only come from the entire bloc.



Speaking to reporters in Beirut after meeting Syria's new leaders in Damascus, Tajani said the EU sanctions had been imposed under President Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled on Dec. 8 by a sweeping rebel offensive.



"I think that we can begin to change things," he said. "The next step is the meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs of the EU and we will talk on this. Italy is in favour."



That meeting is set to take place in Brussels on Jan. 27.