EU Pledges USD707M to Syria, Seeks Deeper Ties in Damascus Visit
Speaking alongside Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani at a joint news conference at Tishreen Palace, Kallas said Brussels wants to expand its engagement. “We aim to mobilize even more investment and upgrade our partnership,” Kallas said, adding that Syria's transition "matters greatly" for the bloc.
“The European Union is using its political and economic tools to help Syria on the path of inclusive and peaceful transition.”
Kallas said she has proposed a round of technical talks this year covering political and security issues, recovery and reconstruction. A high-level political dialogue would follow before next summer.
On funding, she said the EU is providing €620 million for recovery, humanitarian needs and institution-building, along with a further €51.5 million for related efforts, including mine clearance.
Kallas stressed that rebuilding Syria depends on security, clear rules, functioning institutions and investment. She added that the EU is prepared to help strengthen Syrian institutions.
The talks in Damascus also touched on wider regional issues, she said.
The visit follows a meeting between Kallas and al-Shaibani in New York just days earlier, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. It was one of several encounters the Syrian foreign minister held with international officials there.
The EU has recently widened its diplomatic footprint in Syria, sending an ambassador to Damascus after a 14-year absence. Ties have improved markedly since the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, marked by greater political engagement and the EU's lifting of economic sanctions on Syria in May 2025.
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