The European Union on Monday began lifting sanctions against Syria, lifting a number of restrictions in the energy, transport and banking sectors, the EU Council said in a statement.
According to the document, the legislature decided to suspend sectoral measures in the energy (including oil, gas and electricity) and transport sectors.
The EU Council also decided to exclude five organisations from the list of those whose assets and economic resources will be blocked. The list includes Industrial Bank, Popular Credit Bank, Saving Bank, Agricultural Co-operative Bank and Syrian Arab Airlines. It also decided to authorise the provision of funds and economic resources to the Central Bank of Syria.
“We will go forward with the suspension of sanctions against Syria,” the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said before a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels. “This includes the transport, energy and banking sectors.”
On February 19, Reuters reported that the European Union plans to lift sanctions against Syria in the areas of energy, transport and banking. In January, EU ministers agreed on a roadmap for easing anti-Syrian sanctions, but left the details up for discussion.
