Security Coordination Dominates Syria, EU Talks
Syria’s Interior Ministry and the European Union mission to Syria discussed ways to support security sector reform, focusing on developing the civil security system, improving police training programs, and strengthening border management and protection. The ministry said on Tuesday, April 21, that the talks aim to keep pace with the requirements of the transitional phase and reinforce stability and the rule of law in line with international best practices.
The meeting also addressed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and develop joint coordination mechanisms on priority security issues, according to the ministry, within the framework of the Syrian government’s approach to expanding international partnerships. The Syrian side included Interior Minister Anas Khattab, his deputy for human resources affairs, Mohammad al-Sheikh Fattouh, and Director of International Cooperation Col. Abdul Rahim Jabara.
The European side was represented by the acting head of the EU mission to Syria, Michael Ohnmacht, as well as political adviser Torkild Byg.
Proposal to Strengthen Cooperation
The Syrian-European meeting followed a proposal submitted by the European Commission on Monday, April 20, to fully resume the cooperation agreement signed with Syria in 1978. The Commission’s proposal does not constitute an effective decision, as it still requires formal approval from the European Council.
Reuters reported on April 17 that the European Union intends to strengthen its relations with Syria by resuming formal political contacts and paving the way for economic and security relations, according to a document reviewed by the agency.
The document, prepared by the EU diplomatic service and circulated to member states during the week, says the bloc will fully resume the 1978 cooperation agreement with Syria and begin a high-level political dialogue with Syria’s transitional authorities on May 11.
In a notable policy shift, the European Union also announced it would redesign and adapt its sanctions regime to preserve its influence, while continuing engagement with the Syrian leadership and targeting entities that obstruct the transition process. It added that it would recalibrate the sanctions framework to maintain leverage while continuing contact with the Syrian leadership and targeting actors that hinder the transition.
The document’s provisions included strengthening the economic partnership through trade and investment, mobilizing private sector financing, and supporting reforms to improve Syria’s business environment through a new technical assistance hub. Cooperation also covers police training, support for integration, institutional capacity building within the Interior Ministry, counterterrorism cooperation, and efforts to combat drug smuggling and organized crime.
Improving Relations
The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024 opened new prospects for Syria and set it on a different path in its regional and international relations, including the return of contact and bilateral ties with the European Union.
The European Union also announced the lifting of all economic sanctions imposed on Syria, in a step described as pivotal in the course of gradual openness and normalization. Since the outbreak of the war in Syria in 2011, the EU has maintained a supportive role by providing political and financial assistance worth more than 38 billion euros. Syria’s transitional authority also took part for the first time in the ninth Brussels conference in March, which secured financial pledges worth 5.8 billion euros for Syria and neighboring countries. As part of those pledges, the EU committed 2.5 billion euros for 2025 and 2026.
The European Union also joined the Syrian authorities in organizing a “Dialogue Day” in Damascus, which brought together more than 300 representatives of Syrian civil society and, according to its organizers, helped strengthen trust, widen the scope of dialogue, and lay the foundations for an inclusive future based on participation and openness.
On the financial side, the EU allocated more than 424 million euros to support Syria, including a 175 million euro package aimed at social and economic recovery, institution building, and advancing transitional justice, accountability, and human rights. Alongside efforts to meet needs inside Syria, the European Commission continues to support Syrian refugees and their host communities in neighboring countries as part of its ongoing commitment to easing humanitarian burdens and improving living conditions for those most affected by years of conflict.
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