EU to engage with Syrian leaders and reopen delegation

The European Union will establish contacts with Syria’s new leadership and reopen its delegation in the country, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday.

Reuters reported that Von der Leyen also said that the EU would increase humanitarian aid to Syria. However, she warned of the risk of a resurgence by hard-line Islamic State militants and said this must not be allowed to happen.

The EU delegation — which is like an embassy — in Syria was never officially closed, but there has not been an accredited ambassador in Damascus throughout the civil war, which began in 2011.

“We want this delegation to be fully operational again,” said Kallas in the European Parliament. She added that she has asked the EU’s delegation head to go to Damascus on Monday to establish contact with the new leadership and various other groups.

Von der Leyen told reporters in Ankara after a visit to Turkiye’s President Tayyip Erdogan that the EU must step up its direct engagement with Hay’at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS), the group which spearheaded the offensive which toppled Bashar Al-Assad’s regime ten days ago.

“However, the lack of predictability demands utmost caution. The risk of a Daesh [ISIS] resurgence, particularly in eastern Syria, is real,” she warned. “We cannot let this happen. And Turkiye’s legitimate security concerns must be addressed.”

The EU head said that the bloc will increase humanitarian aid to Syria and aim to help restore basic services like electricity, water and infrastructure.

Germany, the US and the UK have all said that they will establish contact with HTS.

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