Italian premier says lifting Syrian sanctions could be tool for rapprochement

ROME

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Wednesday that lifting sanctions on Syria could be a tool to foster rapprochement, but noted the situation remains unclear.

Her remarks came during a session before a EU Leaders' Summit, where international matters were a key focus.

Meloni referred cited recent comments by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who suggested easing the sanctions.

"You may have read that Kallas has left the door open to lifting sanctions on Syria. This could also be another tool for rapprochement, but we are, of course, operating in a situation that is not clear to anyone," Meloni told senators.

She noted that Italy has not taken a stance to support the new interim administration in Syria.

"We said that we need to proceed with great caution. The fall of Assad is good news, but we still do not know what scenario we are heading toward. Some statements seem positive -- I say this cautiously. I particularly want to highlight the importance of protecting minorities, especially Christians, which I also discussed with (Turkish) President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan."

Drawing attention to the risk of Syria becoming a base for terror organizations, Meloni added: "The issue is to prevent Syria from turning into a state resembling the Afghanistan model."

Bashar Assad, who ruled Syria with an iron fist for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8 after anti-regime groups seized control of the capital Damascus. The takeover came after HTS fighters captured key cities in a swift offensive that lasted less than two weeks.