Antonio Tajani spoke of cooperation between the two countries, pointing to Italy as a bridge of union between Syria and the EU.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani visited Damascus, where he met with the country’s new leader Ahmed al-Charaa and his Foreign Minister Assaad Hassan el-Chibani.
“Italy is ready to do its part to encourage the reform process in Syria, we have the ambassador here (Italy recently reopened its embassy in Damascus, editor’s note) and we want to be close to the Syrian people and support them in all areas. We want to relaunch economic cooperation in crucial sectors. We want to be a bridge between the new Syria and the EU.”said Antonio Tajani.
The Italian minister spoke about cooperation between Syria and Italy in crucial sectors such as energy, infrastructure and health, and added that cultural collaborations between universities in the two countries could be established. “We also discussed the possibility of fighting against human traffickers who are also drug traffickers”said Antonio Tajani.
“The sanctions imposed on Syria are an obstacle to the country’s recovery”declared Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad Hassan el-Chibani. “We welcome the call of the Italian Foreign Minister for the lifting of sanctions against Syria”added the head of Syrian diplomacy, who assured that the administration was working on the return of Syrian citizens to their country, before announcing a trip to Europe.
Relations between the EU and the new Syrian administration
Syria’s new leaders are working to get Western countries to lift sanctions imposed in recent years against the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Last week, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot visited Syria, marking the first visit by EU diplomats since the fall of al-Assad from power. Both ministers insisted on a peaceful transition.
Meeting of Western diplomats in Rome
Syria’s future was also the focus of Thursday’s meeting in Rome between the foreign ministers of Italy, France and Germany, as well as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas.
“I welcomed the partners to take stock of the latest events in Syria before leaving for Damascus. After the years of the regime, the Syrian people must be able to envisage a future of peace, stability and prosperity. Coordination and cohesion between our diplomacies are strategic elements to achieve this common objective”wrote Antonio Tajani in a post on X.
“In Rome, we reiterated the need for an inclusive government that protects all minorities. The EU could gradually ease sanctions provided tangible progress is made”said Kaja Kallas.
Discussion with the head of Turkish diplomacy
Before the Rome meeting, Antonio Tajani also had a telephone conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. “A common desire to work together to foster an inclusive political process in Syria leading to pacification and complete stabilization of the country has emerged”we can read in the press release from Italian diplomacy.
“The two ministers agreed on the importance of supporting the de facto Syrian authorities in the ongoing transition process and the need to support the country so that it can face the socio-economic challenges at the end of the conflict civil”we can also read.
On his way back from Damascus, Antonio Tajani will also stop in Beirut to meet Lebanon’s new president, Joseph Aoun, who was elected Thursday, filling a political vacuum that had lasted for years.
