EU, Syria call for inclusive reconstruction

ISTANBUL

In a joint statement on Tuesday, the co-chairs of the annual donor program for Syria and the Syrian foreign minister called for an-inclusive reconstruction process.

“Both parties agreed that rebuilding Syria is a collective and holistic effort, which needs to be inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian owned, in which the United Nations have an important role to play alongside other stakeholders,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, EU Commissioners Dubravka Suica and Hadja Lahbib, and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani wrote in the statement issued at the conclusion of a Syrian conference in Brussels.

The co-chairs reiterated the EU’s dedication to supporting Syria’s inclusive transition, aiming to secure lasting peace and prosperity for all Syrians, without any form of discrimination.

“Both the Co-Chairs and the Syrian Foreign Minister reiterated their call for the full respect of Syria’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement said.

It also underscored the need to fully eliminate chemical weapons in Syria.

“Both parties further underlined the need to work collectively towards discovering the fate of the 150,000 forcibly disappeared Syrians, particularly in Assad’s prisons, whose fates remain unknown, and the EU reaffirmed its support to national and international efforts in this respect,” the statement added.

The parties rejected the “exploitation” of Syria’s situation by any state or non-state actors, “including manipulation of information.”

They also pointed to the “urgent” need to restore trust and security within Syrian society.

“They welcomed the intention to establish a new coordination framework to complement and accelerate an inclusive socio-economic recovery and reconstruction,” the statement added.

The co-chairs reiterated their support for Syria’s economic recovery and resilience, emphasizing assistance to state and local institutions as well as civil society, in line with the EU’s ongoing commitment.

“The Co-Chairs conveyed the EU’s intention to support the holding of an event with civil society in Syria, later in 2025, in line with the EU’s longstanding support to Syria’s civil society,” the statement added.

Since 2017, the EU has held an annual donor conference in support of Syria, during which the bloc offers grants and aid to war-devastated Syria and to countries hosting Syrian refugees.

This year’s conference was attended by Shaibani, who was appointed last December, weeks after the fall of the Assad regime.

After the conference, €5.8 billion ($6.3 billion) was pledged in aid to Syria, with European Union accounting for the majority, with its pledge around €2.5 billion for 2025 and 2026.