EU leaders vowed Friday to build closer ties with Syria after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, following talks with the country's leader in Cyprus. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was in Nicosia, along with the leaders of Egypt and Lebanon and a Gulf countries' representative, to discuss the Iran war and closer cooperation with European counterparts on the sidelines of an EU summit. "The European Union acknowledges the important steps that you have taken to rebuild Syria," European Council chief Antonio Costa told Sharaa after the meeting.
"We support your efforts towards a peaceful and inclusive Syria". Sharaa's presence in Nicosia was another testament of the new chapter in relations between Brussels and Damascus since Assad's ouster from power in December 2024 after over a decade of fighting that devastated the country. It comes as the EU and Syria prepare for a new round of talks with a "high-level political dialogue" due to be held in Brussels on 11 May.
"What we have accomplished today is a solid start that paves the way for the major event in Brussels," Sharaa told reporters. The 27-nation EU has sought to help bolster Syria, as it seeks to rebuild after the civil war. This week, Brussels proposed that EU states fully restart the bloc's cooperation agreement with Damascus, which abolishes customs duties on imports of most industrial products from Syria, and is looking to strike a more ambitious deal.
The May gathering could pave the way "for possible future association agreement," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a press conference in Nicosia. "We will keep supporting the revival of Syria's economy and the reconciliation of its society," she added. In January, von der Leyen announced a €620 million ($730 million) two-year financial support package during a visit to Damascus. The bloc has also dropped economic sanctions as it looks to help the authorities under Sharaa, a former jihadist who spearheaded Assad's expulsion, to rebuild the country and reintegrate internationally.