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The European Union wants to deepen its partnership with Damascus and increase investment in Syria, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday during a visit to the country.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani at Tishreen Palace in Damascus, Kallas said the European Union aimed to mobilise more investment and strengthen its partnership with Syria. Her remarks were reported by the source article.
“Syria’s transition matters greatly for the European Union,” Kallas said, adding that the bloc was using its political and economic instruments to support an inclusive and peaceful transition.
Planned talks on Syria’s transition
Kallas said she had proposed technical discussions later this year on political and security matters, recovery and reconstruction. These would be followed by a high-level political dialogue before next summer, she added.
The EU is providing €620 million for recovery, humanitarian assistance and institution-building, while a further €51.5 million is being allocated to related efforts, including mine clearance, according to Kallas.
She said Syria’s reconstruction would require security, clear rules, functioning institutions and investment. The EU, she added, was ready to help strengthen Syrian state institutions.
EU expands diplomatic engagement
The talks in Damascus also covered broader regional issues, Kallas said.
Her visit came days after she met al-Shaibani in New York on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. The Syrian foreign minister has held a series of meetings with international officials.
The European Union has recently expanded its diplomatic presence in Syria and appointed an ambassador to Damascus after a 14-year absence.
Relations between the EU and Syria have improved since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024. The shift has included greater political engagement and the EU’s lifting of economic sanctions on Syria in May 2025.
