Eight EU member states call for Syria policy reset

A group of eight member states has called on the EU to “review and assess” its approach to Syria ahead of a broader discussion on the situation in the Middle East between European Union foreign ministers on Monday (22 July).

“Our goal is a more active, outcome-driven, and operational Syria policy,” foreign ministers of Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Slovakia and Slovenia wrote in a letter, seen by Euractiv, to the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell.

“This would allow us to increase our political leverage [and] the effectiveness of our humanitarian assistance,” they add.

 Thirteen years into Syria’s conflict, President Bashar al-Assad still holds power over many parts of the country, helped by Russia’s military presence and Iran’s Shi’ite militias.

The EU has imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on the Assad regime and severed official relations with Damascus.

In the letter, they proposed ten areas that should be discussed “openly and without prejudice”, outlined in a separate non-paper.

They also pitched the creation of an EU-Syria envoy, who would be tasked with re-engaging the Syrian ambassador to Brussels and liaising with both Syrian and regional actors.