EU set to reopen delegation in Syria, signaling diplomatic shift

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas made the announcement during a European Parliament session on Tuesday, signaling the bloc’s renewed effort to engage with Syria’s leadership and address ongoing challenges. 

While the EU delegation in Damascus was never formally closed, its diplomatic presence has been inactive since the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011, with no accredited ambassador in place. Kallas emphasized the EU’s intent to make the delegation “fully operational again” in the coming months. 

"We want this delegation to be fully operational again," Kallas told lawmakers, stressing the need to reestablish direct communication with Syrian leadership and other key groups within the country. 

As part of this effort, Kallas revealed that the head of the EU delegation had been dispatched to Damascus on Monday. Their mission includes engaging with Syria’s evolving leadership and exploring solutions to the country’s ongoing political and humanitarian crises. 

Kallas reiterated the EU’s commitment to supporting Syria’s recovery and political transition, hinting at potential adjustments to its sanctions regime. However, she underscored that any changes would maintain the bloc’s leverage to ensure progress toward a sustainable resolution. 

"We have a key interest in the success of the Syrian transition,” Kallas stated. “We need to adopt our early recovery parameters to the new political reality with a view to eventual reconstruction, to start reflecting on a possible revision of our sanctions regime in order to support Syria's path to recovery while keeping our leverage." 

Kallas called for unified and decisive action from EU member states, describing the current moment as a “historic window of opportunity” for Syria’s future. The decision to reactivate the EU’s diplomatic presence reflects a cautious but notable step toward engagement with Syria amid its complex political and humanitarian landscape. 

The move comes as international stakeholders weigh their approaches to Syria’s recovery, balancing political reforms, humanitarian needs, and the reconstruction of a country shattered by over a decade of conflict. (ILKHA)